🇷🇺 Olenya Air Base

Olenya Air Base (also known as Olenegorsk or Vysoky) is a major Russian military air base located on the Kola Peninsula, 92 km south of Murmansk, Russia. It is operated by the Long-Range Aviation branch of the Russian Aerospace Forces.

Type of Facility and Operations: Olenya is a military air base primarily used for strategic aviation. It has served as a headquarters for naval reconnaissance air divisions and has hosted reconnaissance regiments. As of 2020, the 40th Mixed Aviation Regiment, operating in both maritime-attack and land-strike roles, is based there. The base is home to strategic bombers such as the Tu-95MS and Tu-22M3, which have been used to launch cruise missile attacks. It also serves as a forward deployment base for nuclear-capable long-range bombers and has facilities for storing nuclear weapons.

Notable Features or History:

• Longest Runway: Olenya boasts the longest runway on the Kola Peninsula, measuring 3,500 meters (11,483 ft), making it crucial for intercontinental flights across the North Atlantic basin.
• Cold War Significance: First detected by US intelligence in 1957, it was one of nine Arctic staging facilities for nuclear strikes on the United States. During the Cold War, it hosted various aircraft, including Tupolev Tu-16 Badger, Tu-22M, and Mikoyan MiG-27.
• Tsar Bomba: The Tu-95V aircraft that carried the Tsar Bomba, the most powerful nuclear weapon ever detonated, took off from Olenya on October 30, 1961.
• Kinzhal Missile Test: In November 2019, the first test launch of the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal (a nuclear-capable air-launched ballistic missile) in the Arctic took place from Olenya, reportedly carried out by a MiG-31K.
• Air Defense: The base is equipped with air defense systems, including electronic warfare units that can jam GPS signals over 200 km away.

Current Status: Olenya Air Base remains a vital strategic asset for Russia. Satellite photos from October 2022 showed 7 Tu-160 and 4 Tu-95 aircraft at the base. In recent times, Russia has redeployed approximately 40 Tu-22M3 bombers to Olenya from more southern bases, reportedly due to fears of drone attacks. The base has been subjected to multiple drone attacks, particularly in August and September 2024, and also in May 2024, with some reports of damage to aircraft.

*Sources researched: en.wikipedia.org, thebarentsobserver.com, eathergraphics.com, thepilotsdesk.com*