Karabachyn Airstrip

Economic collapse following the dissolution of the Soviet Union. The airstrip was purpose-built for agricultural aviation supporting state-run collective farms (kolkhozes). With the collapse of the Soviet centrally planned economy and the subsequent dismantling of the collective farm system, the state-funded demand for large-scale crop dusting and aerial application services ceased. The operator, likely a regional division of Aeroflot, discontinued operations, leading to the airfield's abandonment.

The site is completely abandoned and derelict. Satellite imagery shows a single, paved runway that is severely degraded, with extensive cracking, weathering, and vegetation growing through the surface. There are no remaining buildings, hangars, or support facilities on the site. The land immediately surrounding the runway, which may have once been aprons or taxiways, has been reclaimed for agricultural use and is actively farmed. The runway itself is unusable for any form of aviation and is slowly being reclaimed by nature.

The Karabachyn Airstrip was a typical example of Soviet-era agricultural infrastructure, known in Russian as an 'Аэродром АХР' (Aэродром Авиационно-Химических Работ - Airfield for Aviation-Chemical Work). Its primary and likely sole function was to serve as an operational base for agricultural aircraft, predominantly the Antonov An-2 biplane. These aircraft were used for widespread crop dusting, fertilization, and pest control on the vast farmlands of the Zhytomyr Oblast. The airstrip was a vital component of the region's agricultural production system under the Soviet Union but had no military or passenger transport significance. The ICAO code 'UA-0105' is an unofficial national index used in some databases, not an official ICAO designation, which reflects its status as a minor, local-use airfield.

There are no known plans or realistic prospects for reopening the Karabachyn Airstrip. The original economic driver for its existence is gone, and modern agricultural practices often utilize ground-based machinery or unmanned aerial vehicles (drones) which do not require such infrastructure. The cost to survey, clear, and completely rebuild the runway and establish new facilities would be prohibitive, with no identifiable demand for general or commercial aviation at this rural location. The site is expected to remain abandoned or may eventually be fully demolished and converted into farmland.