3 0 0 - s old ier ▁reconna issance ▁unit ▁reached ▁the ▁out sk ir ts ▁of ▁Kot ka , ▁but ▁was ▁stopped ▁in ▁the ▁Battle ▁of ▁K ym in lin na . ▁ ▁As ▁the ▁Germ ans ▁waited ▁for ▁rein for c ements , ▁they ▁t apped ▁enemy ▁tele phone ▁lines ▁and ▁mistaken ly ▁believed ▁that ▁the ▁Red ▁Gu ards ▁had ▁a ▁reserve ▁of ▁ 1 0 , 0 0 0 – 3 0 , 0 0 0 ▁soldiers ▁heading ▁to ▁Kot ka ▁from ▁the ▁northern ▁K ymi ▁valley ▁region . ▁In ▁reality ▁the ▁Red s ▁were ▁strength ened ▁by ▁only ▁ 4 5 0 ▁men . ▁The ▁German ▁unit ▁retre ated ▁to ▁Ah ven k os ki , ▁ ▁east ▁of ▁Kot ka . ▁As ▁they ▁were ▁soon ▁followed ▁by ▁the ▁Red s , ▁they ▁moved ▁ ▁further ▁west , ▁where ▁they ▁d ug ▁into ▁def ensive ▁positions ▁by ▁the ▁Ta as ian j oki ▁river . ▁The ▁Red s ▁did ▁not ▁advance ▁past ▁Ah ven k os ki , ▁where ▁they ▁occupied ▁ 1 8 th - century ▁fort ifications ▁by ▁the ▁K ymi ▁river . ▁They ▁were ▁soon ▁rein for ced ▁by ▁units ▁who ▁had ▁retre ated ▁from ▁the ▁K are li an ▁front . ▁ ▁Battle ▁at ▁Ah ven k os ki ▁ ▁The ▁next ▁ten ▁days ▁were ▁quiet , ▁as ▁the ▁fighting ▁was ▁focused ▁north ▁of ▁L ovi isa ▁in ▁the ▁Eastern ▁U us ima a ▁region . ▁On ▁ 2 2 A pril ▁the ▁Germ ans