The following year, he based his army in Philippopolis and occupied the length of the military road from the western Haemus Mountains to the Danube, cutting off communications between Samuel's Macedonian heartland and Moesia.
Tahun berikutnya ia mendasarkan pasukannya di Philippopolis dan menduduki sepanjang jalan militer dari Pegunungan Haemus barat ke Donau, dengan demikian memotong komunikasi antara jantung Makedonia Samuil dan Moesia.