diff --git a/models/attachment.go b/models/attachment.go
index 7fbf9dde99..a9032f1a86 100644
--- a/models/attachment.go
+++ b/models/attachment.go
@@ -255,3 +255,9 @@ func updateAttachment(e Engine, atta *Attachment) error {
 	_, err := sess.Cols("name", "issue_id", "release_id", "comment_id", "download_count").Update(atta)
 	return err
 }
+
+// DeleteAttachmentsByRelease deletes all attachments associated with the given release.
+func DeleteAttachmentsByRelease(releaseID int64) error {
+	_, err := x.Where("release_id = ?", releaseID).Delete(&Attachment{})
+	return err
+}
diff --git a/models/release.go b/models/release.go
index 85a758becf..3729a6f690 100644
--- a/models/release.go
+++ b/models/release.go
@@ -7,13 +7,10 @@ package models
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
-	"os"
 	"sort"
 	"strings"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/git"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
-	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/process"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/setting"
 	api "code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/structs"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/timeutil"
@@ -319,70 +316,10 @@ func SortReleases(rels []*Release) {
 	sort.Sort(sorter)
 }
 
-// DeleteReleaseByID deletes a release and corresponding Git tag by given ID.
-func DeleteReleaseByID(id int64, doer *User, delTag bool) error {
-	rel, err := GetReleaseByID(id)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("GetReleaseByID: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	repo, err := GetRepositoryByID(rel.RepoID)
-	if err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("GetRepositoryByID: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	if delTag {
-		_, stderr, err := process.GetManager().ExecDir(-1, repo.RepoPath(),
-			fmt.Sprintf("DeleteReleaseByID (git tag -d): %d", rel.ID),
-			git.GitExecutable, "tag", "-d", rel.TagName)
-		if err != nil && !strings.Contains(stderr, "not found") {
-			return fmt.Errorf("git tag -d: %v - %s", err, stderr)
-		}
-
-		if _, err = x.ID(rel.ID).Delete(new(Release)); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Delete: %v", err)
-		}
-	} else {
-		rel.IsTag = true
-		rel.IsDraft = false
-		rel.IsPrerelease = false
-		rel.Title = ""
-		rel.Note = ""
-
-		if _, err = x.ID(rel.ID).AllCols().Update(rel); err != nil {
-			return fmt.Errorf("Update: %v", err)
-		}
-	}
-
-	rel.Repo = repo
-	if err = rel.LoadAttributes(); err != nil {
-		return fmt.Errorf("LoadAttributes: %v", err)
-	}
-
-	if _, err := x.Delete(&Attachment{ReleaseID: id}); err != nil {
-		return err
-	}
-
-	for i := range rel.Attachments {
-		attachment := rel.Attachments[i]
-		if err := os.RemoveAll(attachment.LocalPath()); err != nil {
-			return err
-		}
-	}
-
-	mode, _ := AccessLevel(doer, rel.Repo)
-	if err := PrepareWebhooks(rel.Repo, HookEventRelease, &api.ReleasePayload{
-		Action:     api.HookReleaseDeleted,
-		Release:    rel.APIFormat(),
-		Repository: rel.Repo.APIFormat(mode),
-		Sender:     doer.APIFormat(),
-	}); err != nil {
-		log.Error("PrepareWebhooks: %v", err)
-	} else {
-		go HookQueue.Add(rel.Repo.ID)
-	}
-
-	return nil
+// DeleteReleaseByID deletes a release from database by given ID.
+func DeleteReleaseByID(id int64) error {
+	_, err := x.ID(id).Delete(new(Release))
+	return err
 }
 
 // SyncReleasesWithTags synchronizes release table with repository tags
diff --git a/routers/api/v1/repo/release.go b/routers/api/v1/repo/release.go
index da32b955fb..8bcebf6b40 100644
--- a/routers/api/v1/repo/release.go
+++ b/routers/api/v1/repo/release.go
@@ -316,7 +316,7 @@ func DeleteRelease(ctx *context.APIContext) {
 		ctx.NotFound()
 		return
 	}
-	if err := models.DeleteReleaseByID(id, ctx.User, false); err != nil {
+	if err := releaseservice.DeleteReleaseByID(id, ctx.User, false); err != nil {
 		ctx.Error(500, "DeleteReleaseByID", err)
 		return
 	}
diff --git a/routers/repo/release.go b/routers/repo/release.go
index 95423a92b2..0ab8450bd5 100644
--- a/routers/repo/release.go
+++ b/routers/repo/release.go
@@ -291,7 +291,7 @@ func EditReleasePost(ctx *context.Context, form auth.EditReleaseForm) {
 
 // DeleteRelease delete a release
 func DeleteRelease(ctx *context.Context) {
-	if err := models.DeleteReleaseByID(ctx.QueryInt64("id"), ctx.User, true); err != nil {
+	if err := releaseservice.DeleteReleaseByID(ctx.QueryInt64("id"), ctx.User, true); err != nil {
 		ctx.Flash.Error("DeleteReleaseByID: " + err.Error())
 	} else {
 		ctx.Flash.Success(ctx.Tr("repo.release.deletion_success"))
diff --git a/services/release/release.go b/services/release/release.go
index 246a784efe..b4f814a77f 100644
--- a/services/release/release.go
+++ b/services/release/release.go
@@ -6,11 +6,13 @@ package release
 
 import (
 	"fmt"
+	"os"
 	"strings"
 
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/models"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/git"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/log"
+	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/process"
 	api "code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/structs"
 	"code.gitea.io/gitea/modules/timeutil"
 )
@@ -132,3 +134,69 @@ func UpdateRelease(doer *models.User, gitRepo *git.Repository, rel *models.Relea
 
 	return err
 }
+
+// DeleteReleaseByID deletes a release and corresponding Git tag by given ID.
+func DeleteReleaseByID(id int64, doer *models.User, delTag bool) error {
+	rel, err := models.GetReleaseByID(id)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("GetReleaseByID: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	repo, err := models.GetRepositoryByID(rel.RepoID)
+	if err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("GetRepositoryByID: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if delTag {
+		_, stderr, err := process.GetManager().ExecDir(-1, repo.RepoPath(),
+			fmt.Sprintf("DeleteReleaseByID (git tag -d): %d", rel.ID),
+			git.GitExecutable, "tag", "-d", rel.TagName)
+		if err != nil && !strings.Contains(stderr, "not found") {
+			return fmt.Errorf("git tag -d: %v - %s", err, stderr)
+		}
+
+		if err := models.DeleteReleaseByID(id); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("DeleteReleaseByID: %v", err)
+		}
+	} else {
+		rel.IsTag = true
+		rel.IsDraft = false
+		rel.IsPrerelease = false
+		rel.Title = ""
+		rel.Note = ""
+
+		if err = models.UpdateRelease(rel); err != nil {
+			return fmt.Errorf("Update: %v", err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	rel.Repo = repo
+	if err = rel.LoadAttributes(); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("LoadAttributes: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	if err := models.DeleteAttachmentsByRelease(rel.ID); err != nil {
+		return fmt.Errorf("DeleteAttachments: %v", err)
+	}
+
+	for i := range rel.Attachments {
+		attachment := rel.Attachments[i]
+		if err := os.RemoveAll(attachment.LocalPath()); err != nil {
+			log.Error("Delete attachment %s of release %s failed: %v", attachment.UUID, rel.ID, err)
+		}
+	}
+
+	mode, _ := models.AccessLevel(doer, rel.Repo)
+	if err := models.PrepareWebhooks(rel.Repo, models.HookEventRelease, &api.ReleasePayload{
+		Action:     api.HookReleaseDeleted,
+		Release:    rel.APIFormat(),
+		Repository: rel.Repo.APIFormat(mode),
+		Sender:     doer.APIFormat(),
+	}); err != nil {
+		log.Error("PrepareWebhooks: %v", err)
+	} else {
+		go models.HookQueue.Add(rel.Repo.ID)
+	}
+
+	return nil
+}
diff --git a/services/release/release_test.go b/services/release/release_test.go
index 91dd0a73b5..97febeecb9 100644
--- a/services/release/release_test.go
+++ b/services/release/release_test.go
@@ -150,7 +150,7 @@ func TestRelease_MirrorDelete(t *testing.T) {
 
 	release, err := models.GetRelease(repo.ID, "v0.2")
 	assert.NoError(t, err)
-	assert.NoError(t, models.DeleteReleaseByID(release.ID, user, true))
+	assert.NoError(t, DeleteReleaseByID(release.ID, user, true))
 
 	ok = models.RunMirrorSync(mirror.Mirror)
 	assert.True(t, ok)