Aleshkino Airfield

Military abandonment following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The airfield was closed after the resident aviation unit, the 49th Independent Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment of the Baltic Fleet, was disbanded in 1994 as part of the large-scale military downsizing that occurred after the Cold War.

The airfield is completely abandoned and in a derelict state. Satellite imagery shows the two concrete runways and extensive taxiway system are still visible but are severely cracked, weathered, and overgrown with vegetation. Many of the hangars, barracks, and administrative buildings are in ruins or have been dismantled for materials by the local population. The site is not secured, and parts of the former airfield grounds are now used for informal agricultural purposes, such as storing hay bales. There is no aviation activity.

The airfield has a dual-era history.

Pre-1945 (German Era): Originally a German Luftwaffe airfield known as Flugplatz Darkehmen (the town was renamed Angerapp in 1938). It was constructed in the 1930s and served as a forward operating and training base during World War II. Various Luftwaffe units, including fighter and bomber groups, transited through or were temporarily based here during operations on the Eastern Front.

Post-1945 (Soviet/Russian Era): After the war, the territory became part of the Soviet Union's Kaliningrad Oblast, and the airfield was renamed Aleshkino. It was integrated into the Soviet military infrastructure and became a key base for Soviet Naval Aviation (AV-MF) of the Baltic Fleet. From the 1960s until its closure, it was primarily home to the 49th Independent Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment (49th OPLVP). This regiment was vital for anti-submarine warfare (ASW) and maritime patrol in the Baltic Sea. It operated a succession of helicopters, including the Mil Mi-4, Kamov Ka-25 ('Hormone'), and later the more advanced Kamov Ka-27PL ('Helix-A') for ASW and the Kamov Ka-29 ('Helix-B') for naval assault transport. The base played a significant strategic role during the Cold War, projecting Soviet naval air power into the Baltic.

There are no known or credible plans to reopen Aleshkino Airfield. The infrastructure is too degraded and would require a complete and costly reconstruction. The Russian Armed Forces maintain and have modernized other strategic airbases in the Kaliningrad Oblast (such as Chernyakhovsk and Chkalovsk), which fulfill the current defense needs of the region. The reopening of Aleshkino is considered strategically and economically unfeasible.