The early fighting was not confined to the Danubian principalities. Although Russian forces had occupied Moldavia and Wallachia, Ottoman troops in the Caucasus were well led, motivated, and more successful than Russian planners expected. Maritime convoys moved the supplies that sustained this pressure and at one point threatened to leave the Russian Caucasus corps surrounded. That operational link explains why the convoy later found at Sinop was a military target rather than incidental shipping.
Notable Point · 22:36-24:01
Why the Caucasus campaign made the convoy important
Ottoman success in the Caucasus depended on maritime supply, making the convoy at Sinop operationally important to both belligerents.