On May 16-18, 1918, near the village of Vorontsovka, the division of Major General Andranik with incredible effort held back the onslaught of the Ottoman troops along with the accompanying Tatar units. Although some enemy groups managed to get close to Tiflis (20-25 kilometers), they were mostly stopped and thrown back.
After taking the initiative away from the enemy, the commander proceeded to fight in the direction of Karakilisa.
In the battle that unfolded on May 25-28, 1918 – which became fateful not only for Armenia but for the entire Caucasus – Andranik thwarted the main Turkish attack in the direction of Dilijan. With this attack, the Turks intended to reach Baku through the city of Dilijan. After their defeat, most Turkish troops in Lori Province would retreat.
