evidence: Shortly prior to Kutuzov’s arrival in Romania, five out of nine infantry divisions in the Moldavian army were recalled north to rejoin the main Russian army. This left Kutuzov with 27,000 infantry, 13,500 regular cavalry and Cossacks, and 4,500 artillery, plus a small rowboat flotilla on the Danube. This force was stretched thin defending more than 650 miles along the north bank of the Danube River, the border between Russian-occupied Romania and Ottoman-controlled Bulgaria. [...] Kutuzov was ideally suited to lead the Russian army against the Turks. The majority of Kutuzov’s military career had been spent fighting the Turks. Mikhail Illarionovich Galinischev-Kutuzov (shortened to Kutuzov) was born on September 16, 1745, into a military family. Kutuzov began his career as an artilleryman, but his first active-duty assignment was as an infantry company commander. Soon, his daring and intelligence won him the patronage of influential General Alexander Suvorov. [...] In the middle of June, the Turkish army numbering close to 60,000 men began to advance toward Ruschuk. Akhmed-Bey was well informed that the bulk of the Russian army was located on the northern side of the Danube and was expecting to deal with only the small Russian garrison of Ruschuk on the south side of the river. Unknown to him, upon learning of Turkish advance, Kutuzov recrossed the Danube with his main force and by June 19 began taking up positions roughly three miles south of Ruschuk.