Ochakiv Air Base

The closure as an active air base was a direct result of the large-scale post-Soviet restructuring and downsizing of the Ukrainian Armed Forces. The primary unit stationed there, the 555th Helicopter Regiment, was disbanded in 2004 as part of this military reorganization, which was driven by new strategic doctrines and significant economic constraints in the newly independent Ukraine.

The site is no longer used as a conventional air base for fixed-wing aircraft; satellite imagery shows the runway in a state of disrepair. However, the facility has been repurposed and is a critical installation for the Ukrainian Navy. It serves as the home base for the elite 73rd Naval Center of Special Operations. Starting in 2017, as part of a security assistance program, United States Navy Seabees constructed a state-of-the-art Maritime Operations Center (MOC) on the site. This center was designed to serve as a major command, control, and planning hub for the Ukrainian Navy in the Black Sea region. Due to its immense strategic importance, the base has been a frequent and high-priority target for Russian missile strikes since the beginning of the full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.

During the Soviet era, Ochakiv Air Base was a key naval aviation installation for the Black Sea Fleet. It was the home of the 555th Instructor-Research Anti-Submarine Helicopter Regiment, a vital part of the 33rd Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Naval Aviation personnel. The base was instrumental in developing anti-submarine warfare (ASW) tactics and training elite helicopter crews. It operated a variety of specialized naval helicopters, including the Kamov Ka-25 'Hormone', Ka-27 'Helix', Ka-29 'Helix-B' assault transport, and the amphibious Mil Mi-14 'Haze'. After the collapse of the USSR, the regiment and its assets were transferred to the Ukrainian Navy in April 1992, continuing operations until the unit's disbandment.

There are no known public plans to reopen Ochakiv as a full-fledged air base. Its current strategic value has shifted from aviation to naval special operations and command and control. Given the ongoing war, the damage sustained at the site, and its repurposed role, a return to its former aviation function is highly unlikely in the foreseeable future. Any future development, including potential runway restoration, would be entirely dependent on the post-war strategic needs of the Ukrainian Armed Forces and would almost certainly remain classified.