Derevyannoe Air Base

The air base was closed due to the large-scale restructuring and downsizing of the Russian Armed Forces following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The resident air regiment was disbanded, and the Su-15 interceptors it flew were retired from service. This was part of a broader trend of closing single-regiment military airfields that were deemed economically unsustainable or strategically redundant in the post-Cold War era.

The air base is abandoned and in a state of severe disrepair. Satellite imagery and ground reports show the concrete runways and taxiways are cracked, weathered, and partially overgrown with vegetation. Most of the military infrastructure, including aircraft revetments, hangars, and technical buildings, are derelict and decaying. The site is a popular destination for urban explorers and locals, who occasionally use the long, straight runways for informal drag racing and driving practice. Some of the former support buildings on the periphery of the base may be used for small-scale commercial purposes, such as lumber storage or processing, but the airfield itself is not operational.

Derevyannoe Air Base was a key military airfield for the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO). Its primary role was to protect the northwestern borders of the USSR, particularly the Republic of Karelia, from potential NATO air intrusions from Norway and over the Baltic Sea. The base was home to the 991st Fighter Aviation Regiment (991 IAP), which was part of the 10th Independent Air Defence Army. Throughout its operational history, the regiment flew various interceptor aircraft, most notably the Sukhoi Su-15TM 'Flagon', a high-speed, all-weather interceptor that formed the backbone of the PVO for decades. The base was a critical component of the air defense network covering the strategically important Kola Peninsula and the approaches to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg).

There are no known official plans or prospects for reopening Derevyannoe Air Base. The cost of restoring the heavily decayed infrastructure to operational standards would be prohibitive. Furthermore, its former strategic role is now fulfilled by the nearby Petrozavodsk Airport (Besovets Air Base), which is an active, modernized facility serving both civilian and military aviation for the region. Given the proximity of a superior active air base and the lack of a strategic or economic need, the reopening of Derevyannoe is considered highly unlikely.