Urup Airport

Military abandonment following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The closure was driven by severe economic constraints, a strategic re-evaluation of military assets, and the high cost of maintaining a remote base in a harsh climate. With the end of the Cold War, the base was deemed non-essential and was subsequently abandoned and left to decay.

The airport is completely abandoned and in a state of ruin. Satellite imagery shows a severely decayed and fractured runway, with vegetation growing through the cracks. The associated military buildings and infrastructure are derelict and collapsing. The site is inaccessible by conventional means and is being reclaimed by nature. It is not used for any official or unofficial purpose.

The airfield has a dual-era military history. It was originally constructed by the Empire of Japan prior to World War II as a military airfield on what they called Uruppu-tō island. It was part of their northern defensive line for the Kuril Islands and Hokkaido. After the Soviet Union took control of the islands in 1945, the airfield was repurposed and became a Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) base. Throughout the Cold War, it served as a forward operating base for interceptor aircraft (such as MiG variants) to patrol the strategic airspace between the Sea of Okhotsk and the Pacific Ocean and counter potential intrusions by US reconnaissance aircraft.

Uncertain but currently low. While Russia has been increasing its military presence on the Kuril Islands since the 2010s, efforts have been focused on other islands. A new, modern, all-weather airport (Yasny Airport) was constructed on the neighboring island of Iturup, which serves both military and civilian needs. Although Russian military officials have occasionally mentioned long-term prospects of restoring the entire airfield network on the Kurils, including the one on Urup, there are no active, confirmed plans or ongoing construction to rebuild this specific site. The high cost of reconstruction and the existence of the modern Yasny Airport nearby make its reopening a low priority.