Country Ukraine Raion Henichesk Time zone EET (UTC+2) Area 206 ha Population 1,372 (2001) | Oblast Kherson Elevation 2 m (7 ft) Area code(s) (+380) 5534 Local time Wednesday 3:58 PM | |
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Weather 14°C, Wind NW at 10 km/h, 50% Humidity | ||
Strilkove (Ukrainian: Стрілкове, Russian: Стрелковое, Crimean Tatar: Çoqraq) is a Ukrainian village in the Henichesk raion of the Kherson oblast. In 2001 its population was 1,372, and was predominantly ethnic Russian. The village became a focal point in the 2014 Russian military intervention in Ukraine. The village is located on the Arabat Spit and is geographically part of Crimea, however it falls the administration of Kherson Oblast. Moreover, the village also housed a gas transit center strategically important for the peninsula. Russian troops occupied parts of the village, this was the first time Russian troops moved into the Kherson Oblast. In December 2014 the Ukrainian Border Guards Service stated Russian troops began a withdrawal from Kherson ending the 10 month standoff, however although Russian troops left all other positions in Kherson they continued to occupy the gas distribution station located outside the city. Strilkove represents one of the few parts of Crimea that is under direct Ukrainian control.
Contents
Map of Strilkove, Kherson Oblast, Ukraine
Geography
The village lies on the northern portion of Crimean peninsula's Arabat Spit, though neither Strilkove nor the neighboring village of Shchaslyvtseve are claimed as part of the Crimean Autonomous Republic. It is located 8 kilometres to the north of the border of the Crimean Republic, between the Azov Sea to the east, and Lake Sivash in the west; and is 32 km far from the town of Henichesk.
History
Strilkove was founded in 1835 and, until 1945, was named Çoqraq or Chokrak (Чокрак).
During the Crimean crisis, on 15 March 2014 at about 13:30, some Russian Airborne Troops (40 riflemen) advanced on the village.
Crimea crisis and War in Donbass
The village is located on the Arabat Spit and is geographically a part of Crimea, however administratively it is in the Kherson Oblast. Russian paratroopers landed in the village during the 2014 Crimea Crisis, marking the first time Russian forces advanced into mainland Ukraine as prior to this Russian troops operated only in the Autonomous Republic of Crimea. The soldiers stated that they missed their landing zone and landed in the village by accident and proceeded to retreat to the gas distribution terminal located near the village. Ukraine for the first time during the conflict placed its air forces on alert and air lifted its own unit of paratroopers to the area. Russian forces retreated from the center of the village but maintained the occupation of the gas distribution center, Russian forces stated that the gas distribution center may be a vulnerable to a terrorist attack and needed to be secured.
As of October 2014 Ukrainian border guards and a volunteer territorial defense battalion are stationed in the village. Russian forces maintain a company of 150 troops which are also supported by a gunboat. The area has not experienced any fighting since the Russian takeover of the off shore gas platforms near the village. However, border guards are instructed to not allow people whose Russian passport have been issued in Crimea to pass, as well as inspect vehicles for possible Russian contraband. The small force deployed to the village is also designated to slow a possible advance of Russian troops into Kherson, while the large contingent of Ukrainian forces is stationed at Novooleksiivka and Henichesk, about 20 miles north along the Arabat Spit. On 9 December 2014 Ukraine's border guards reported that Russian troops began withdrawing from southern Kherson Oblast, ending the 10-month-long occupation. Despite the withdrawal Russian troops still occupy the gas distribution center outside the city.(Talk:Strilkove) The Arabat Spit and the Syvash areas of Crimea are the remaining territories of the peninsula that are under direct Ukrainian control.