Pyaozero Air Base (abandoned)

The air base was closed due to the large-scale military downsizing, budget cuts, and strategic realignment that occurred after the collapse of the Soviet Union. As a forward dispersal airfield in a remote location, it was deemed obsolete and financially unsustainable in the new geopolitical and economic climate of the Russian Federation.

The site is completely abandoned and derelict. Satellite imagery shows a single, unpaved runway that is heavily overgrown with vegetation. The concrete hardstands and revetments designed to protect aircraft are still visible but are decaying. Any support buildings or infrastructure have fallen into ruin. The airfield is not used for any official purpose and is slowly being reclaimed by the surrounding forest.

Pyaozero Air Base was a Cold War-era military airfield of the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO). Its strategic importance stemmed from its location in the Republic of Karelia, relatively close to the Finnish border. It served primarily as a 'zapansoy' (reserve) or dispersal airfield. This means that while it may not have permanently hosted a full regiment, it was maintained in a state of readiness to receive fighter-interceptor aircraft (such as Su-15 or MiG-23) from main operating bases during periods of heightened tension. Its function was to increase the survivability of air assets by spreading them out, making them harder to target in a potential first strike. It was an integral part of the dense air defense network protecting the USSR's northwestern approaches, including the vital naval bases on the Kola Peninsula.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Pyaozero Air Base. The remote location, the complete decay of its infrastructure, and the lack of any modern strategic or economic need make its reactivation prohibitively expensive and unnecessary. It remains a relic of the Cold War with no foreseeable future use.