Battle of Durova

Battle of Durova
Part of the Refusal War
Wardens assembling outside Durova
Date 20 January - 8 February 1986 Location Durova, Galania Result Warden Victory
Belligerents
Wardens Cacerta	Royalists
Commanders and leaders
Hovsep Galstyan Kaitlyn Quintilian	Vitomir Gavrilov Varbanov
Units involved
Army of Danjusha 5th Guards Mechanized Division	3rd Army
Strength
276,000 15,000	198,000
Casualties and losses
23,000-28,000 killed 70,000-100,000 wounded	20,000-25,000 killed 80,000 wounded

The Battle of Durova (also known as Operation Mikhail) was a military offensive launched by the Wardens against the Royalist-held city of Durova during the Refusal War. The battle lasted from 20 January - 8 February 1986.

The Wardens, having repelled Royalist efforts towards southern Scitaria, wanted to eliminate the main threat against Warden territory along the coast that had been captured during the coastal offensives the previous year. Control of Durova would allow the Wardens to exercise control over virtually all of the Malonrana River, negating Royalist holdings in the city of Kolnov to the south. The operation would have the ulterior motive for positioning Warden forces for their eventual invasion of Galania later in the year. The offensive was carried out by the Army of Danjusha under General Hovsep Galstyan, and was supported by ground and air units of the Cacertian Armed Forces.

The Wardens began their attack on 20 January and initially caught the Royalists off guard, who were expecting a push against Kolnov. Despite the initial setback 3rd Army under Vitomir Gavrilov Varbanov succesfully repelled Warden assaults north of the city. By February the Wardens had finally broken through south of Durova and controlled the meeting of the west and east Malonrana tributaries. With support from the Cacertian 5th Guards Mechanized Division, the Wardens finally broke through Royalist lines north of Durova on 5 February, leading Varbanov to abandon the city and retreat east on the 8th. Subsequent skirmishes erupted around the Malonrana and near Kolnov, but the Wardens retained control of Durova for the remainder of the war.

Durova was the first step in what would become the Warden's Galania Campaign; the largest and most significant series of operations during the war. The loss of Durova eventually forced the Royalists to abandon Kolnov and pull back east towards the Vitmira River. Despite its significance, the battle was overshadowed to a degree by Operation Gabrijel further north on the border of Makedon.