Shiomi Airfield

The airfield was closed due to military downsizing and strategic realignment following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The fighter aviation regiment stationed there was disbanded, and the supporting settlement of Baykovo was largely abandoned. The closure was driven by economic constraints and a shift in Russia's post-Cold War military doctrine, which led to the withdrawal from many remote and costly bases.

The airfield is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. The concrete runways, taxiways, and dispersal pads are heavily weathered and cracked but still clearly visible from the air. Numerous structures, including hardened aircraft shelters, hangars, and barracks from the Soviet era, are crumbling. The site is a de facto open-air museum, littered with military wreckage from both WWII (including Japanese tanks) and the Cold War era. The area is uninhabited, with the former village of Baykovo now a ghost town. The site is occasionally visited by military historians, battlefield tourists, and official expeditions searching for the remains of soldiers.

The airfield has significant military history spanning two eras.

1. **Imperial Japanese Era (as Kataoka Airfield):** Built by the Japanese, it was the primary army airfield on Shumshu Island before and during World War II. It was a key strategic base for defending the Northern Kuril Islands and launching patrols. The airfield was a central objective during the Battle of Shumshu (August 18-23, 1945), one of the final conflicts of WWII, where Soviet forces invaded the island. Fierce fighting, including tank battles, took place on and around the airfield.

2. **Soviet/Russian Era (as Baykovo Airfield):** After its capture in 1945, the Soviet Union rebuilt and operated the airfield as a forward base for its Air Defence Forces (PVO). It was home to fighter-interceptor regiments (such as the 888th Fighter Aviation Regiment) flying aircraft like the MiG-17 and later the MiG-23. Its strategic location was critical during the Cold War for intercepting potential US bombers and reconnaissance aircraft approaching from Alaska and the Aleutian Islands, and for protecting the vital naval base at Petropavlovsk-Kamchatsky.

There are no known official plans or active prospects for reopening Shiomi/Baykovo Airfield for either civilian or military use. The infrastructure is severely degraded and would require a complete reconstruction at immense cost. While Russia has been actively remilitarizing other Kuril Islands (such as Iturup and Matua), the focus has been on more strategically central locations. The remote position of Shumshu and the prohibitive cost of rebuilding make its reactivation highly unlikely in the foreseeable future.