Bakhmutovo Air Base

Military downsizing and strategic realignment

The air base is abandoned and in a state of decay. Satellite imagery shows the concrete runway, taxiways, and aircraft revetments are still intact but are cracked, weathered, and overgrown with vegetation. Most of the technical and residential buildings are derelict or have been dismantled. The site is not maintained for aviation purposes. It is occasionally used by locals for informal activities such as car racing and drifting events. Some of the facilities associated with the former aircraft repair plant on the site may be in limited use for non-aviation industrial or storage purposes.

Rzhev-Bakhmutovo Air Base has significant military history.

**World War II:** The airfield was a crucial strategic point during the brutal and lengthy Battles of Rzhev (1942-1943). It was heavily contested and used by both Soviet and German air forces at various stages of the conflict, serving as a frontline base for attack and fighter aircraft operating in one of the most violent sectors of the Eastern Front.

**Cold War:** After WWII, it was developed into a major Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) base, part of the elite Moscow Air Defence District. Its primary mission was to guard the western air approaches to Moscow against NATO bombers and reconnaissance aircraft. The most notable unit stationed here for decades was the 56th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (56 GvIAP). This regiment operated a succession of interceptor aircraft, including the MiG-17, Su-9, Su-15, and finally the MiG-23P. The base was a key node in the formidable Soviet air defense network.

**Note on ICAO Code:** The code RU-0009 is a generic regional identifier. When active, the air base's ICAO code was likely UUBW (УУБВ).

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening or reactivating the Bakhmutovo Air Base. The extensive degradation of its infrastructure (runway, electrical systems, buildings) would require massive investment to restore. Given the post-Cold War strategic landscape and the existence of other modern, active air bases in the region, there is no apparent military or civilian need that would justify its costly reconstruction.