On January 9, 1878, the Russian troops and the Bulgarian militia won the battle of Shipka-Sheinovo.
This battle was key to opening the way to Constantinople and concluding a peace treaty.
It was reached after the fall of Pleven and Sofia.
At the end of December 1877, the Southern detachment of the Russian army, commanded by Lieutenant General Radetsky, crossed the Balkan Mountains in extremely difficult winter conditions. It proceeded to fulfill the main task set by the action plan after crossing the mountain - the defeat of the Central Ottoman Army.
The Southern detachment was divided into three columns - left, center and right. The columns also included the battalions of the Bulgarian militia. It was planned to move against the enemy forces on the southern slope of the Shipka Pass and in the fortified Sheinovo camp, built not far from the village of Sheinovo.
The battle took place in two battles on January 8 and 9, 1878. The Sheinovo camp was built by the Central Ottoman Army. A stronghold of the main forces occupying the passes of the Central Stara Planina. It was located opposite the southern exit of the Shipka Pass. Its shape is a circle with a radius of 1.5 km with the village of Sheinovo as its center. The eastern part is the most strongly fortified with a defensive line length of 2 km, the village of Shipka - the village of Sekerechevo.
The defense consists of two connected lines. The first has a base of five mounds with two batteries and rifle lodges. The second is composed of five redoubts, positioned for crossfire against a flat and open area. The Kosmatka mound behind the second line is the command one. Veysel Pasha's reserves are established here. The other sections of the camp are defended by 9 redoubts. In the course of the battle, the ground profiles are additionally fortified and reinforced with long-range artillery. The camp is equipped with 11.5 battalions and 29 guns.
The forces of the left Russian column are concentrated in the area of the present-day village of Maglizh. A decision is made to attack the Sheinovsky fortified camp. The main forces are directed to the eastern side of the camp. Around noon, the attackers capture the enemy's first defensive line. The attempt to capture the second defensive line is unsuccessful. The commander assessed that the units were exhausted and decided to spend the night in the occupied position.
It was fortified during the night and made inaccessible to enemy forces. A report was sent to Lieutenant General Fyodor Radetsky insisting on energetic actions by the central and right columns.
On the night of January 8-9, Veysel Pasha regrouped his forces. The Sheinovo camp was fortified with 4 battalions taken down from the Shipka Pass. Early in the morning, an attack began against the left Russian column, successively transferring the blow from the right to the left Russian flank. The battle was particularly fierce near the forest near the village of Sekerchevo. The Turks were driven back and new redoubts were occupied on the second defensive line. The two flanks on the eastern side of the Sheinovo camp were covered. An attack was also launched on the present-day village of Shipka. After a mass retreat of Turkish units was noticed, the left column at 10:00 launched an offensive against the western side of the camp. The first trenches were captured and the subsequent counterattack was repelled.
The 63rd Uglitsky Infantry Regiment, the 9th Rifle Brigade and the 5th Volunteer Battalion attacked and captured the central Sheinovsky Redoubt No. 2. The attack on Sheinovsky Redoubt No. 1 by the 3rd Rifle Battalion of the 63rd Uglitsky Infantry Regiment was also successful. The battalion launched an attack.
At 14:00, units of the left and right columns joined south of the captured village of Shipka. The enemy forces in the Sheinovo camp were shattered, and Veysel Pasha was forced to concentrate his remaining forces around his command post at the Kosmatka area and demand surrender.
Around noon, the central column also passed through the Shipka Pass in an attack against the Turkish forces. The main blow was delivered by the 55th Podolsk Infantry Regiment. The Bryansk Infantry Regiment and the Zhytomyr Infantry Regiment carried out a detour. At the cost of 1,507 killed and wounded, the central column pinned down the forces of the Turkish group and prevented it from providing assistance to the Sheinovo camp.
Faced with inevitable defeat, Veysel Pasha sent a negotiator to Lieutenant General Mikhail Skobelev with a proposal for surrender. The proposal was accepted on condition that the units at the Shipka Pass also be surrendered.
The Battle of Sheinovo ended with the capture of the entire Central Ottoman Army (3 pashas, 765 officers and 22,000 soldiers). The number of killed and wounded was 4,000.
Turkey was deprived of its most combat-ready army by the beginning of 1878. The Turkish defensive line along the Balkan Mountains was finally torn apart. The path for an offensive into Thrace and towards Constantinople was opened. Total Russian losses were 5,107 killed and wounded.