On July 8, 1709, six versts from Poltava, located in Left-Bank Ukraine, one of the largest battles of the Northern War took place between Russian and Swedish troops, ending in the defeat of Charles XII's army.

In April of the same year, the Swedes began the siege of Poltava, defended by a small garrison under Colonel A. S. Kelin. Swedish forces attacked the fortress daily, and if it were captured, Voronezh, an important supply and formation center for the Russian army, would be under threat.

By the end of May 1709, the main forces of the Russian army, led by Peter I, approached Poltava. The army, numbering 42,000 men and 72 guns, settled in a fortified camp 5 km north of the city. Considering the experience from the Battle of Lesnaya, the Russians chose a rugged terrain surrounded by forest to hinder enemy maneuvers. Peter I personally led the first division, distributing command of the others among the generals. The cavalry was commanded by A. D. Menshikov, and the artillery by Bruce.

Breaking through the redoubts, the main part of the Swedes found themselves under heavy artillery and rifle fire from the Russian camp and retreated in disorder into the Budyshchensky forest. At nine o'clock in the morning, hand-to-hand combat began. Under the pressure of superior forces, the Swedes started to retreat, which soon turned into a chaotic flight. King Charles XII and Hetman Mazepa fled with a small detachment to the Ottoman Empire.

As a result of the Battle of Poltava, the Swedes lost over 9,000 killed and more than 18,000 captured, while Russian losses amounted to 1,345 killed and 3,290 wounded.

The Russian army applied field earthworks and mobile horse artillery for the first time in military science of that time. The victory at the Battle of Poltava became a turning point in the Northern War in favor of Russia and ended Sweden's dominance as the main military power in Europe. Russia regained its ancient lands and strengthened its position on the shores of the Baltic Sea.