Pinozero Airfield

Military restructuring and budget cuts following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The air base was closed after the disbandment of the last aviation regiment stationed there, the 431st Fighter Aviation Regiment (431 IAP), in 1993. This was part of a broader trend of closing numerous single-regiment airfields across Russia as older aircraft like the Su-15 were retired and the armed forces were downsized.

The airfield is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. Satellite imagery shows the concrete runway, taxiways, and hardened aircraft shelters are still visible but are crumbling and being overgrown by vegetation. The associated military garrison town (known as a 'voyennyy gorodok') is also in ruins, with most buildings being derelict shells. The site is occasionally visited by urban explorers and locals who have reportedly dismantled parts of the airfield, such as concrete slabs from the runway, for personal construction use. It is not used for any official or commercial purpose.

Pinozero Airfield was a key Cold War air defense base for the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO). Its primary mission was to protect the strategically vital naval bases of the Northern Fleet in Murmansk and Severomorsk on the Kola Peninsula. It housed the 431st Fighter Aviation Regiment, which was part of the 10th Independent Air Defence Army. The regiment operated various interceptor aircraft throughout its history, including the Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-17, Sukhoi Su-9, and most notably the Sukhoi Su-15TM 'Flagon'. Pilots from Pinozero were on constant alert to intercept NATO strategic bombers and reconnaissance aircraft, such as the B-52 and SR-71, that approached Soviet airspace in the Arctic.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening Pinozero Airfield. The cost of rebuilding the runway, infrastructure, and support facilities to modern standards would be prohibitive. The Russian Aerospace Forces have consolidated their operations at other, more modern and strategically located air bases in the Murmansk Oblast, such as Olenya and Monchegorsk. Therefore, the reactivation of Pinozero is considered highly unlikely.