Third Mongol invasion of Poland
The third Mongol invasion of Poland was carried out by Talabuga Khan and Nogai Khan in 1287–1288. As in the second invasion, its purpose was to loot Lesser Poland, and to prevent Duke Leszek II the Black from interfering in Hungarian and Ruthenian affairs. The invasion was also part of the hostilities between Poland and Ruthenia; in 1281, the Poles had defeated a Mongol force near Goslicz which had entered Duke Leszek's territory in support of Lev I. Planning In November 1287, Nogai Khan demanded that the princes of Ruthenia show up personally leading their armies to join him on an expedition to Poland, while he and Talabuga gathered their own cavalry. He assembled what the Galician-Volhynian Chronicle referred to as "a great host" alongside his vassals on the Polish-Galician border. After leaving some men behind in Ruthenia to defend his rear, he went about planning the invasion. The expedition was undertaken by a force of 30,000 men, a mix of Mongol/Turkic troops and Ruthenian vassal troops. The plan, devised by Nogai Khan, was similar to the one from 1259. The Mongol army was divided into two columns. 20,000 cavalry (including Ruthenians) under Talabuga attacked towards Sandomierz and northern Lesser