Bolshoy Tokmak Air Base

Military downsizing and economic constraints following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The base was transferred to Ukrainian control in 1992. Ukraine inherited a vast number of military airfields from the USSR and lacked the financial resources to maintain all of them. This led to a large-scale reduction of the Ukrainian Air Force, the disbandment of the resident aviation regiment (the 452nd Independent Shturmovik Aviation Regiment), and the subsequent closure and abandonment of the air base.

Following its closure, the air base was abandoned for over two decades. Its runways, taxiways, and hardstands fell into disrepair and were partially reclaimed by nature and agriculture.

Since the full-scale Russian invasion of Ukraine in February 2022, the city of Tokmak and the air base have been under Russian military occupation. Satellite imagery and open-source intelligence have confirmed that Russian forces have reactivated the site, using it as a forward operating base and a crucial helicopter staging area. It serves as a logistics hub and a base for attack helicopters (such as the Ka-52 'Alligator') supporting Russian operations on the southern front in Zaporizhzhia Oblast. The site has been fortified with defensive positions and has been a confirmed target of Ukrainian long-range strikes.

Bolshoy Tokmak was a significant Soviet Air Force (VVS) base located within the Odessa Military District. Its primary role was to host fighter-bomber and attack aviation units, providing air power and strike capabilities in the southern region of the USSR.
Key units stationed at the base include:
- **953rd Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (1953-1982):** Operated aircraft such as the MiG-15, MiG-17, Su-7B, and Su-17.
- **18th Guards 'Normandie-Niemen' Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (1982-1987):** A famous and highly decorated unit that flew Su-17M2 aircraft from this base before relocating to the Russian Far East.
- **452nd Independent Shturmovik (Attack) Aviation Regiment (1987-c.1997):** Formed at the base, this unit flew the Sukhoi Su-25 'Frogfoot' ground-attack aircraft. It was this regiment that was taken over by Ukraine in 1992 and later disbanded, leading to the airfield's closure.

There are no known plans or prospects for reopening the site as a civilian or commercial airport. Its future is entirely contingent on the outcome of the Russo-Ukrainian War. As long as it remains under Russian occupation, it will continue to be used as a military forward operating base. If the territory is liberated by Ukraine, its strategic location might lead to its use by the Ukrainian Air Force, but any such use would require extensive repair and reconstruction due to decades of neglect and damage sustained during the current conflict.