Engozero Air Base

The air base was closed following the disbandment of its resident aviation regiment. This was a direct result of the large-scale military downsizing and strategic realignment of the Russian Armed Forces after the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The primary aircraft at the base, the Su-15, was being retired from service, and maintaining a remote, single-purpose interceptor base was no longer considered economically viable or strategically necessary in the post-Cold War security environment.

The Engozero Air Base is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. Satellite imagery and explorer reports confirm that the site is being reclaimed by the surrounding forest.

- **Runway and Taxiways:** The single 2500-meter concrete runway, taxiways, and numerous aircraft revetments (hardstands) are still visible but are cracked, weathered, and heavily overgrown with grass and small trees.
- **Infrastructure:** All buildings, including hangars, maintenance facilities, and the control tower, are derelict, with many having collapsed or been stripped of valuable materials. The associated military garrison town (gorodok) is also abandoned and in ruins.
- **Usage:** The site is not used for any official purpose. It is occasionally visited by urban explorers, photographers, and locals, but it has no formal function.

Engozero Air Base was a key strategic asset for the Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO - Protivovozdushnaya Oborona) during the Cold War. Its primary role was to defend the northwestern airspace of the USSR against intrusion by NATO bombers and reconnaissance aircraft.

- **Primary Unit:** The base was home to the 445th Fighter Aviation Regiment (445-й иап ПВО), which was part of the 10th Independent Air Defence Army.
- **Aircraft Operated:** The regiment was primarily equipped with Sukhoi Su-15TM 'Flagon' interceptors. These were specialized, high-speed aircraft designed specifically to intercept and destroy enemy aerial targets, particularly strategic bombers like the B-52.
- **Strategic Importance:** Located in the Republic of Karelia, relatively close to the Finnish border and the Barents Sea, Engozero was positioned to protect the vital military and industrial complexes of the Kola Peninsula, including the main bases of the Soviet Northern Fleet in Murmansk and Severomorsk. The pilots and aircraft at Engozero were on constant alert, ready to scramble and intercept any unidentified aircraft approaching Soviet airspace from the north or west.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Engozero Air Base. The cost of restoring the heavily decayed infrastructure—including the runway, navigation systems, and support facilities—to modern operational standards would be immense. The Russian Air Force has consolidated its forces at fewer, more modern, and strategically located bases. Reactivating a remote and dilapidated Cold War-era base like Engozero does not align with current military doctrine or financial priorities. The prospect of reopening is considered effectively zero.