Zhurzhevo Air Base

Military restructuring and economic reasons. Following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, the base was transferred to the jurisdiction of the newly independent Republic of Belarus. The Belarusian Air Force underwent significant downsizing, and maintaining a large, costly regiment of Il-76 heavy transport aircraft was deemed economically unfeasible and strategically unnecessary for the country's new defense doctrine.

The site has been completely repurposed and is no longer an aviation facility. The territory of the former air base is now 'Sector 1 - Zhurzhevo' of the Vitebsk Free Economic Zone (FEZ). The area has been extensively redeveloped into an industrial and logistics park. Numerous modern manufacturing plants, warehouses, and commercial enterprises have been constructed on the former aprons and taxiways. While the main runway's concrete structure is still largely visible from satellite imagery, it is in a state of disrepair and is partially used as an access road for the industrial facilities.

Zhurzhevo Air Base, also known as Vitebsk-Severny (Vitebsk-North), was a key strategic air base for the Soviet Air Forces' Military Transport Aviation (VTA). Its primary operator was the 339th Military Transport Aviation Regiment (339 VTAP), which flew a large fleet of Ilyushin Il-76 'Candid' heavy transport aircraft. The base and its regiment were of high strategic importance during the Cold War. The 339th VTAP was heavily involved in the Soviet-Afghan War (1979-1989), where its Il-76s were instrumental in airlifting troops, armored vehicles, ammunition, and supplies into Afghanistan, as well as conducting medical evacuations. The base served as a vital logistical hub for projecting Soviet military power.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening Zhurzhevo as an airport. The extensive industrial development on the site, including the construction of permanent structures on former operational areas, makes a return to aviation use virtually impossible. The critical aviation infrastructure has been dismantled or has deteriorated beyond repair. The civil and military aviation needs of the Vitebsk region are served by the operational Vitebsk Vostochny Airport (IATA: VTB, ICAO: UMII).