Birofeld Airfield

The airfield was closed as a direct result of the large-scale military downsizing and restructuring that occurred after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The resident air defense regiment was disbanded, and the base was deemed no longer strategically or economically viable to maintain.

The airfield is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. Satellite imagery and reports from explorers show that the main runway and taxiways are heavily cracked, weathered, and significantly overgrown with grass and small trees, making them unusable for any aircraft. The concrete aircraft revetments are still visible but are crumbling. Most of the technical and residential buildings of the former military town (garrison) are derelict, heavily vandalized, and have been dismantled over the years by locals for building materials. The site is not used for any official purpose and is effectively a ghost facility.

Birofeld Airfield was a key Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) base during the Cold War. Its primary function was to provide air defense for the crucial industrial centers and transportation links in the Soviet Far East, including the Trans-Siberian Railway and the border with China. The airfield was home to the 265th Fighter Aviation Regiment (265-й ИАП). This regiment operated various interceptor aircraft over its history, most notably the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-23MLD 'Flogger-K', a capable all-weather interceptor, which it flew until the base's closure. The airfield's layout, with its hardened aircraft shelters (revetments) and extensive taxiways, is a classic example of a late-Soviet era forward operating base.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen Birofeld Airfield. The immense cost required to completely rebuild the runway, taxiways, and all supporting infrastructure is prohibitive. Furthermore, there is no current military or civilian demand for an airfield in this specific location, especially given the proximity of the large, active Khabarovsk Novy Airport (UHHH). Its reopening is considered highly improbable.