[1] By the end of July, the Black Sea Fleet under the command of Admiral Aleksey Samuilovich Greig approached Varna and delivered the landing forces.

The siege was put under the command of Adjutant General Prince Alexander Sergeyevich Menshikov, with total forces of 23,000 personnel and 170 artillery pieces against the 12,000 garrison of Varna under Vizier Yusuf Pasha.

[1] In the meantime, Greig's fleet actively assisted the siege by bombardment, landing, blockade of the territory from the sea and supplying it with large artillery.

At the battle of Kurtepe [ru] the Russians under Prince Eugen of Württemberg attacked but they were defeated and retreated, despite the defensive success of General Karl Ivanovich Bistram's troops, who had repulsed both the garrison and Omer Vrioni's army.

Siege works were now carried out by order of General Trousson 2nd; on 31 August the attackers had set up trench on the crest of glacis, and on 2 September the saps with 300 pounds of powder were blown up and a convenient descent into the ditch was formed.

The proposal to surrender the fortress was rejected, and by order of Nicholas proceeded to the close attack and preparation of the assault on the bastions.