Sumsk Air Base

The air base was closed following the disbandment of its resident aviation regiment, the 57th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment. This was part of the large-scale military restructuring, force reduction, and budget cuts that occurred across Russia following the dissolution of the Soviet Union.

The site is completely abandoned and in a severe state of disrepair. Satellite imagery and reports from urban explorers confirm that the 2500-meter runway, taxiways, and aircraft revetments are crumbling and overgrown with vegetation. The hangars, barracks, and support buildings of the airfield and its associated military town ('gorodok') are derelict and decaying. The infrastructure is unusable for any aviation purposes. The abandoned runway is sometimes used unofficially by locals for activities like amateur car racing and drifting.

Sumsk Air Base was a significant Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) airfield during the Cold War. Its primary mission was the air defense of the strategically vital city of Leningrad (now St. Petersburg) and the surrounding Leningrad Military District. The base was home to the 57th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (57 GvIAP), a decorated unit that earned its 'Guards' title for distinguished service during World War II. Throughout its operational history at Sumsk, the regiment flew several generations of interceptor aircraft, including the MiG-17, the Sukhoi Su-15TM, and, in its final years, the advanced MiG-23MLD.

There are no known official plans or credible prospects for reopening or redeveloping Sumsk Air Base. The extensive decay and the prohibitive cost of restoring the infrastructure make its reactivation for either military or civilian aviation highly unlikely. It is one of many former Cold War airfields in Russia that remain abandoned.