The Battle of Drastar

After Veliki Preslav fell, all eastern Bulgaria came under Byzantine rule and Tsar Peter II was deposed. Preslav was burned during the battle, forcing its troops to evacuate towards Silistra, where Prince Sviatoslav I's main forces were stationed. Emperor John Tzimiskes' troops regrouped towards Drastar Fortress at Silistra, where he planned to establish a fortified camp. Days later, the Byzantines attacked, and fierce fighting broke out.

After the battle, Drastar's gates were closed, beginning a three-month siege with numerous engagements. It ended in a peace agreement between Sviatoslav I and John Tzimiskes on terms highly unfavourable to Bulgaria: the lands between the Balkan Mountains, Danube, Black Sea and Iskar River came under Byzantine rule, leaving only western Bulgaria autonomous.