Battle of Sagerejo

Battle of Sagerejo
Part of the Zemplen War
Sagerejo burns on the banks of the Enguri River
Date 20 March - 24 April 2009 Location Sagerejo, Ruvelka Result Pyrrhic Syaran Victory
Belligerents
Ruvelka	Syara
Commanders and leaders
Eliska Hanáková	Dragomir Zhelev
Units involved
Army Group Center	Army Group Beta
Strength
500,000 troops 8,670 AFVs 2,100 artillery pieces	350,000 troops 15,000 AFVs 4,700 artillery pieces
Casualties and losses
35,000 killed 83,000 wounded	37,500 killed 112,000 wounded

The Battle of Sagerejo was assault and subsequent occupation of the city of Sagerejo by the Syaran Commonality Armed Forces during the Zemplen War. The bloodiest battle of the entire war, the battle saw extensive urban combat and artillery usage with heavy casualties on both sides. The battle started on 20 March 2009 and concluded a little over a month later on 24 April.

Syaran Central Command aimed to have Army Group Beta push east towards Debrecen, the capital of Ruvelka. Between Army Group Beta and Debrecen was Sagerejo, which controlled the only direct highway towards the the Ruvelkan capital. The Ruvelkan military became aware of Syaran intentions and began heavily fortifying the area around Sagerejo, building numerous fortifications and extensive anti-tank defenses. Syaran forces began their attack on 20 March with four Corps, two aiming for the city itself while the other two corps took up positions to the north and south. Despite Syaran advantages in firepower and armor, Ruvelkan defenses proved difficult to crack resutling in heavy Syaran losses. By 15 April the Syarans had reached the city istelf but were forced to rely heavily on their artillery to clear out entire city blocks, while their flanking corps were forced to battle through miles of suburbs and outlying urban areas. On 19 April Syaran forces broke through Ruvelkan defenses south of Sagerejo, and proceeded to unhinge the Ruvelkan defensive line. By 24 April Syara was in control of the city.

Both sides suffered extensive losses, and despite claiming victory Syaran casualties alarmed Central Command. In light of such losses, and reports that the Ruvelkans were constructing even more defenses along the Kurilla Mountains that barred the way to Debrecen, the Syarans opted to abandon their drive on the Ruvelkan capital.