Ximik Airfield

The initial decline was due to post-Soviet economic reasons, as the state-run collective farm system it supported was dismantled, making such airfields economically unviable. The final and current reason for its closure is the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. The airfield is located in a territory currently under military occupation and is situated within an active conflict zone, making any aviation operations impossible.

The site is a non-operational, abandoned airstrip. It is located in the Vasylivka Raion of Zaporizhzhia Oblast, a part of Ukraine currently under Russian military occupation. Satellite imagery shows a visible but overgrown and unmaintained runway. Due to its location in an active warzone, the area is inaccessible, likely militarized, and potentially contains unexploded ordnance or mines. It has no infrastructure and is not used for any aviation purposes.

Ximik (Хімік/Химик, meaning 'Chemist') was a typical Soviet-era agricultural airfield. Its primary function was to support 'aviation-chemical works' (авиационно-химические работы) for the surrounding farmland. Operations would have primarily involved aircraft like the Antonov An-2, used for crop dusting (applying pesticides and fertilizers) and other agricultural support tasks. These small airfields were vital components of the highly mechanized Soviet agricultural industry, serving local kolkhozes (collective farms).

There are no plans or prospects for reopening the airfield. Any potential future for the site is entirely contingent on the end of the war, the de-occupation of the territory by Ukrainian forces, and subsequent large-scale demining operations. Following these events, a new assessment of its economic viability for agricultural or general aviation purposes would be required as part of Ukraine's post-war reconstruction, making any reopening a distant and uncertain possibility.