Zheludok Heliport

Military Drawdown and Economic Reasons. The airbase was closed and abandoned following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The military unit stationed there, the 911th Fighter Aviation Regiment, was disbanded in 1993 as part of the large-scale restructuring and downsizing of the armed forces of the newly independent Republic of Belarus.

The airbase is completely abandoned and in an advanced state of decay. The runway is cracked and overgrown, and the numerous hardened aircraft shelters (HAS) stand empty and derelict. The associated technical, administrative, and residential buildings are in ruins. The site is a popular destination for urban explorers and photographers documenting abandoned Soviet military infrastructure. There is no official current use for the facility.

The site was a major Soviet Air Force base known as Zheludok Air Base (Аэродром Желудок), not merely a heliport as its modern ICAO designation suggests. Its primary historical significance was as a forward operating base during the Cold War. It was home to the 911th Fighter Aviation Regiment (911-й ИАП) of the 26th Air Army. This regiment operated advanced fighter aircraft, initially the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23 and later the state-of-the-art Mikoyan MiG-29 'Fulcrum'. The base was a key element in the air defense network of the USSR's western frontier, tasked with intercepting potential NATO incursions.

None. There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airbase. The entire infrastructure, including the runway, taxiways, and buildings, is beyond economical repair and would require a complete reconstruction. The Belarusian Air Force operates from other, more modern facilities, and there is no strategic or economic justification for rebuilding the Zheludok base for either military or civilian use.