Therefore, at the behest of Byzantium, the Pechenegs (led by Kurya) ambushed Svyatoslav and his army when he attempted to cross the cataracts near Khortytsia, at the Dnieper River, in March 972. His army took heavy losses, and the grand prince himself was slain.
As a result of Byzantium's request, the Pechenegs, led by Kurya, launched a surprise assault on Svyatoslav and his troops when he attempted to cross the Dnieper River near Khortytsia in March 972. The grand prince's army was severely weakened, and he himself was slain.