In June 1918, 3,000 men under Colonel Mikhail Drozdovsky's command joined the Volunteer Army, strengthening it to between 8,000 to 9,000 men. On June 23, the Volunteer Army began its so-called Kuban Offensive, with General Pyotr Krasnov's support. By September 1918, the Volunteer Army was up to 30,000 to 35,000 men thanks to the mobilization of the Kuban Cossacks and "counterrevolutionary elements" gathered in the North Caucasus, taking the name of Caucasus Volunteer Army.