Kornych Air Base

Military downsizing and restructuring

Following its deactivation in 2004, the air base fell into a state of disuse but was maintained as a reserve airfield. Around 2014, with the start of the war in Donbas, the base saw partial reactivation. It was reportedly used for training exercises, as a storage facility, and for operating unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs). The infrastructure, including the main runway and taxiways, remains largely intact. On February 24, 2022, at the beginning of Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine, the Kolomyia Air Base was targeted and struck by Russian ballistic missiles, confirming its status as a recognized and active military site. Its current operational use is classified due to the ongoing conflict, but it is considered an active military reserve and dispersal airfield for the Ukrainian Air Force.

Kornych Air Base, more formally known as Kolomyia Air Base (ICAO: UKLO), was a significant military airfield during the Cold War. It was home to various units of the Soviet Air Forces, most notably the 48th Guards Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment. This regiment operated a range of tactical aircraft over the decades, including the MiG-21, MiG-23, MiG-27, and eventually the Su-24M Fencer tactical bomber. The base was a key element of the Soviet Union's western air defense and strike capability, part of the 14th Air Army (later VVS Prikarpatskiy Military District). After the dissolution of the USSR in 1991, the base and its assets were transferred to the newly formed Ukrainian Air Force. The 48th Guards Regiment continued to operate under Ukrainian command until it was finally disbanded in 2004 as part of a major downsizing and restructuring of Ukraine's armed forces.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening Kornych/Kolomyia Air Base for civilian or regular commercial operations. Prior to the 2022 invasion, there were occasional discussions about developing regional airports in Ukraine, but Kolomyia was not a primary candidate. Given the ongoing war and its strategic military importance, any future development is entirely dependent on the military needs of Ukraine. Its role will remain exclusively military for the foreseeable future.