Narodychi

The sole reason for the closure was the severe radiological contamination from the Chernobyl disaster. The airbase is located about 70 km (43 miles) west of the power plant and was directly in the path of a major fallout plume. The area was designated a Zone of Mandatory Resettlement due to dangerously high levels of radiation, making it unsafe for the thousands of personnel and their families required to operate the base.

The site is completely abandoned and in a state of advanced decay. The runway and taxiways are cracked and overgrown, and the hardened aircraft shelters stand empty and crumbling. All administrative buildings, barracks, and technical facilities are in ruins and have been thoroughly looted over the decades. The entire area is being reclaimed by forest and remains within a zone of radiological contamination. It is a popular, albeit often illegal, destination for urban explorers and those documenting the legacy of the Chernobyl disaster.

Narodychi was a significant Soviet Air Defence Forces (PVO) airbase during the Cold War. It was the home of the 95th Fighter Aviation Regiment (95 IAP), which operated as part of the 28th Air Defence Corps. The regiment's primary mission was to defend the airspace of the western Ukrainian SSR against potential NATO incursions. In its final years, the base was equipped with a squadron of advanced MiG-23MLD 'Flogger-K' interceptor aircraft. It was a crucial link in the vast air defense network protecting the western frontier of the Soviet Union.

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the Narodychi airbase. The persistent radiological contamination makes the site unsafe for any form of regular human activity. The cost of decontaminating such a large area to safe levels would be astronomical and impractical. Furthermore, the entire infrastructure has deteriorated beyond repair after more than three decades of neglect and exposure to the elements. The site will remain an abandoned relic of the Cold War and a stark monument to the Chernobyl catastrophe.