Strilkove (; ; ) is a Ukrainian village in Henichesk raion of Kherson oblast. It belongs to Henichesk urban hromada, one of the hromadas of Ukraine. 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 under 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 Oblast ending the 9 month standoff, however although Russian troops left all other positions in Kherson they continued to occupy the gas distribution station located outside the village. Strilkove represented one of the few parts of Crimea that was still under direct Ukrainian control, until it was reoccupied by Russian forces in the 2022 Russian invasion of 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 south from the town of Henichesk. History Strilkove was founded in 1835 and, until 1945, was named Çoqraq or Chokrak (Чокрак). Deportation of 1944 In 1944 unlike other Crimean Tatars inhabitants of Çoqraq were not deported to Middle Asia. There is a popular thought that the village was forgotten. In June 1945 the whole village population (including people of Slav origin) were put on a barge which was later sunk in Azov sea. "However, in June 1945, the authorities drew attention to this 'flaw' (and Stalin had already been informed about the complete 'purification' of the peninsula), so the villagers (mostly Crimean Tatars, but also some Ukrainians) were loaded onto a barge and taken to the Sea of Azov, where in the middle of the sea the barge was flooded along with all the people... 413 soldiers and commanders received combat orders and medals for the deportation of Crimean Tatars." Crimea crisis and War in Donbas