Shapkino Airport

The airfield was closed following the disbandment of the 703rd Training Aviation Regiment (703 UAP) of the Russian Air Force. This closure was a direct result of the widespread military downsizing, restructuring, and severe budget cuts that occurred in the years following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The site is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. The main concrete runway (approximately 2500 meters long), taxiways, and aircraft hardstands are still intact but are unmaintained, heavily cracked, and being reclaimed by vegetation. The associated military town (гарнизон), barracks, hangars, and technical buildings are derelict, with many in ruins from years of neglect and looting for building materials. The abandoned runway is sometimes used unofficially by local residents for recreational driving, learning to drive, or illegal street racing.

Shapkino was a significant Soviet and later Russian Air Force training base. It was home to the 703rd Training Aviation Regiment, which was part of the renowned Borisoglebsk Higher Military Aviation School of Pilots (Borisoglebsk VVAUL). The airfield's primary function was the primary and advanced flight training of military cadets. Operations were centered around jet trainer aircraft, initially the Aero L-29 Delfín and later the Aero L-39 Albatros. For decades, it played a crucial role in preparing a steady stream of pilots for various branches of the Soviet and Russian Air Forces.

There are no known official plans, government proposals, or credible prospects for reopening the Shapkino airfield. The cost to restore the runway, taxiways, and all necessary infrastructure would be prohibitive. Given that its original military purpose no longer exists and there is no economic or logistical demand for a civilian airport in this specific rural location (especially with the major Strigino International Airport serving the region), the prospect of it ever being reactivated is considered effectively zero.