Novomikolayivka Airfield

The airfield's closure was a direct result of the economic turmoil following the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991. It was primarily an agricultural aviation base, and the centralized, state-funded Soviet system that supported such operations collapsed. Without state subsidies and with the restructuring of agriculture, the airfield became economically unviable and fell into disuse as its infrastructure was no longer maintained.

As of 2023-2024, the Novomikolayivka Airfield is located in a region of intense military conflict and is under the control of the Russian military following the 2022 full-scale invasion of Ukraine. Open-source intelligence (OSINT) and satellite imagery have confirmed that Russian forces have repurposed the derelict airfield into an active forward operating base (FOB) or forward arming and refueling point (FARP). It is used extensively by Russian army aviation, particularly for staging and operating attack helicopters like the Kamov Ka-52 'Alligator', which have been used to counter Ukrainian military operations on the Zaporizhzhia front. The site is an active military installation and a strategic target.

During the Soviet era, Novomikolayivka Airfield was a vital component of the local agricultural infrastructure. Its primary role was to serve as a base for agricultural aircraft, most notably the Antonov An-2 biplane. These planes were used for large-scale aerial application tasks such as crop dusting (pesticide and herbicide spraying), seeding, and fertilization for the vast collective farms (`kolkhozes`) in the region. The airfield was a typical example of the widespread network of small, local airfields that supported the USSR's agricultural economy.

There are zero prospects for reopening the airfield for civilian use in the foreseeable future. Its current status as an active military base in a war zone makes any civilian activity impossible. The future of the site is entirely dependent on the outcome of the Russo-Ukrainian War. Even if the conflict were to end, the airfield would require extensive demining, a thorough assessment of damage from military use and potential strikes, and likely a complete reconstruction of its runway, taxiways, and buildings before any consideration could be given to its revival for civil aviation.