Lavansaari Airfield

Military restructuring and severe budget cuts. Following the end of the Cold War and the collapse of the USSR, the Russian Federation undertook a massive downsizing of its armed forces. Maintaining a remote and costly island airbase was no longer strategically or economically viable. The air defense regiment stationed there was disbanded, leading to the closure of the airfield.

The airfield is completely abandoned and derelict. Satellite imagery shows the concrete runway, taxiways, and aircraft hardstands are still visible but are cracked, weathered, and overgrown with vegetation. The associated barracks and technical buildings are in ruins. However, the island of Ostrov Moshchny itself remains an active and restricted Russian military territory. It is used by the Russian Navy and Border Guard Service and is reported to house important radar installations and electronic surveillance equipment for monitoring air and sea traffic in the Gulf of Finland. Access to the island is strictly prohibited.

The airfield holds significant military history from the Soviet era. Originally a Finnish island named Lavansaari, it was ceded to the Soviet Union in 1940. The Soviets quickly developed it into a crucial forward air and naval base in the Gulf of Finland.

- **World War II:** It served as a key base for the Soviet Baltic Fleet's air arm (VVS VMF) during the war, playing a vital role in the naval blockade and subsequent relief of Leningrad. Operations from the island included attack, reconnaissance, and fighter cover for naval convoys.

- **Cold War:** After the war, the island, now named Moshchny (Мощный, meaning 'Mighty'), became a strategic outpost for the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO). It hosted fighter-interceptor regiments tasked with defending the northwestern approaches to Leningrad (now St. Petersburg). Notably, the 4th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (4 GvIAP) and later the 72nd Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (72 GvIAP) were based here, flying aircraft such as the Sukhoi Su-9 'Fishpot' and later the Su-15TM 'Flagon'. Its location made it a first line of defense against potential NATO air incursions over the Baltic Sea.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. The cost of rebuilding the entire infrastructure (runway, facilities, logistics) on a remote island would be prohibitive. The strategic necessity for such a forward-operating base has been greatly reduced with the advent of modern long-range aircraft, missiles, and advanced radar systems based on the mainland. The site is expected to remain abandoned, while the island continues its role as a military surveillance post.