Zimnitsa Airstrip

The closure was a direct result of the post-Cold War restructuring and downsizing of the Bulgarian Armed Forces. Following the dissolution of the Warsaw Pact, Bulgaria significantly reduced its military size and budget. This led to the consolidation of air force units and the decommissioning of airbases deemed redundant, including Zimnitsa. There was no single accident or event that caused the closure; it was a strategic decision based on the new geopolitical landscape and economic constraints.

The site is no longer an airport and is completely non-operational for aviation. The majority of the former runway, taxiways, and aprons have been covered by a large-scale photovoltaic power plant, known as the Karadzhalovo Solar Park or a similar local project. While the solar farm occupies the main operational surfaces, many of the original military structures, including the distinctive arched concrete hardened aircraft shelters, are still standing. Some of these shelters are reportedly used for agricultural storage by local businesses, while others are derelict. The layout of the former airbase is still clearly visible from satellite imagery, but its function has been entirely converted to renewable energy production.

Zimnitsa Air Base was a key military installation for the Bulgarian Air Force during the Cold War. Its primary historical significance lies in its role as a forward operating base for ground-attack aviation. It was home to the 22nd Fighter-Bomber Air Regiment (22-ри изтребително-бомбардировъчен авиополк). Throughout its operational history, the base hosted several types of Soviet-era combat aircraft, including the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17, the MiG-23BN 'Flogger-H', and its most modern aircraft, the Sukhoi Su-22M4 and Su-22UM3K 'Fitter-K' variable-geometry fighter-bombers. As part of the 10th Composite Air Corps, the regiment's primary mission in a potential conflict was to provide close air support to ground forces and conduct strike missions against high-value NATO targets in the Southern Flank, specifically in Greece and Turkey. The base infrastructure, including a long concrete runway and numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS), was characteristic of a front-line Warsaw Pact airfield built to withstand a potential first strike.

There are no known or credible plans for reopening Zimnitsa Airstrip for any form of aviation. The significant and permanent infrastructure of the solar farm built directly on the runway and taxiways makes any such prospect economically and logistically unfeasible. The cost of dismantling the power plant and restoring the airfield surfaces to operational standards would be prohibitive. Furthermore, the strategic military need for the base is fulfilled by the nearby and still-active Bezmer Air Base, which is one of the Bulgarian Air Force's primary facilities. Therefore, the prospects for reopening are considered to be zero.