After the failure of the White Advance on Moscow in August 1919, the Red Army had launched a successful counteroffensive.

Budyonny repulsed the attack and pushed the White troops back to the eastern outskirts of Voronezh.

On November 2, Mamantov's corps counterattacked in the area of Klevna-Shumeyka, but retreated after suffering heavy losses.

In a new counterattack, troops of the White Army retook Liski, Talovaya, Novokhopyorsk and Bobrov.

The Voronezh–Kastornoye operation is the first battle during the Russian Civil War with massive use of large cavalry formations.