Battle of Pazardzhik

The Battle of Pazardzhik was an Ottoman attempt to delay the Russian advance along the Pazardzhik–Plovdiv–Adrianople route after the liberation of Sofia and Sheynovo. About twenty battalions, drawn from the remnants of the Sofia and Samokov garrisons and commanded by Süleyman Pasha, held the town.

Russian forces under Lieutenant General Iosif Gurko rapidly directed their attack towards Pazardzhik. On 1 January, the columns of Lieutenant Generals Nikolai Kridener and Yuri Schilder-Schuldner cut the roads to Plovdiv, while those of Lieutenant Generals Pavel Shuvalov and Nikolai Velyaminov operated against the town itself.

On 2 January, the Russian columns launched a general assault. After street fighting and under threat of encirclement, Ottoman troops withdrew, setting fire to about 1,000 buildings. Russian and Bulgarian forces nevertheless extinguished the fires and liberated the town.

After taking Pazardzhik, the Russians pursued the Ottomans towards Plovdiv.