Korsakov (Novaya) Air Base

The air base was closed following the disbandment of its resident military unit. This was part of the large-scale reduction and restructuring of the Russian Armed Forces in the years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The closure was driven by a combination of strategic realignment, which made many Cold War-era bases redundant, and severe economic constraints that made maintaining such facilities unsustainable.

The air base is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. Satellite imagery confirms that the concrete runway, taxiways, and numerous hardened aircraft shelters (revetments) remain intact but are heavily weathered, cracked, and being reclaimed by nature. The technical and administrative buildings of the base, as well as the associated military garrison (gorodok), are derelict and have been stripped of valuable materials over the years. The site is not used for any official purpose and has become a destination for urban explorers and photographers documenting abandoned Soviet military infrastructure.

Korsakov (Novaya) Air Base, also known by the name Pushistyy (Пушистый), was a significant Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) installation during the Cold War. Its strategic location on the southern tip of Sakhalin Island placed it on the frontline of Soviet defenses in the Far East, tasked with protecting against potential air intrusions from Japan and the United States.

- **Primary Unit and Aircraft:** The base was home to the 528th Fighter Aviation Regiment (528 IAP). This regiment operated MiG-23ML/MLD 'Flogger-G/K' interceptors, which were designed for air defense and interception missions.

- **Strategic Role:** The regiment's primary mission was to patrol and defend the airspace over southern Sakhalin and the strategically vital La Pérouse Strait, a key maritime passage between the Sea of Japan and the Sea of Okhotsk.

- **Cold War Incidents:** The base and its aircraft were frequently scrambled to intercept US reconnaissance aircraft flying near Soviet airspace. While the fatal intercept of Korean Air Lines Flight 007 on September 1, 1983, was carried out by a Su-15 from the nearby Dolinsk-Sokol air base, the 528th IAP at Korsakov (Novaya) would have been part of the broader air defense network placed on high alert during the incident.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening the Korsakov (Novaya) Air Base. The Russian military has consolidated its air power on Sakhalin at other active airfields, such as Yuzhno-Sakhalinsk (Khomutovo) and Dolinsk-Sokol. The immense cost required to restore the crumbling infrastructure—including the runway, taxiways, and support facilities—makes its reactivation for either military or civilian aviation purposes economically and strategically unfeasible.