Battle of Koziatyn

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Battle of Koziatyn
Part of Polish–Soviet War
Date April 1920 Location Koziatyn, Volhynia (Ukraine) Result Polish victory
Belligerents
Poland	Russian SFSR
Commanders and leaders
Jan Romer	Sergei Mezheninov Ieronim Uborevich
Strength
1 cavalry division	2 infantry divisions
Casualties and losses
9 killed 33 wounded	Unknown, ~8000 captured

The Battle of Koziatyn (also known as the Raid on Koziatyn and Koziatyn Envelopment) of 25–27 April 1920 was one of the most spectacular raids of the Polish cavalry during the Polish–Soviet War. In the effect of a pincer maneuver some 160 kilometres behind the front line, the Polish Army was able to seize the strategically important town of Korosten. The town, a major railway hub and a Red Army supply depot, was captured with negligible Polish losses.

The battle, along with a similar Raid on Korosten, resulted in a complete disruption of the Soviet 12th and 14th Armies of the South-Western Front.^[1] The Soviets lost approximately two divisions and a large amount of materiel, and roughly 8000 Soviet soldiers became prisoners of war.^[2] This allowed the Polish forces to capture Kiev soon afterwards. The maneuver is taught in military colleges around the world as an example of a blitzkrieg-like offensive executed before the advent of tank warfare.^[3][4]