🇺🇦 Kalynivka Air Base

Kalynivka Air Base (UA-0046 / ICAO: UKKN) is identified as a military airfield located in Kalynivka, Ukraine.

• Type of Facility: This is a military airfield that currently serves as a reserve airfield for the National Guard of Ukraine and is utilized for basing unmanned aerial vehicles.
• Location and Runway Information: The air base is situated in Kalynivka, near Vinnytsia. Historically, during World War II, it was described as a "field airstrip" later upgraded to an airfield rated for bombers, located approximately 23 km north of Vinnytsia and 4.3 km north-northeast of Kalynivka. Its ICAO airport code is UKKN.
• Known Uses: Beyond its primary military function, the air base also hosts non-aviation events such as drifting competitions and cultural activities.
• Historical Significance: Kalynivka Air Base boasts a rich history dating back to the 1930s. During World War II, it was used by Nazi forces, with reports of Adolf Hitler's personal plane landing there. The Luftwaffe developed it into a significant overhaul and repair center between 1941 and 1943. In the Soviet era, it supported the rocket army. More recently, in 2017, a large ammunition depot in Kalynivka, one of the largest arsenals of the Ukrainian military, experienced a series of multi-kiloton explosions, which authorities investigated as an act of sabotage. The air base was also targeted by Russian rockets in 2022.