Okhtyrka Air Base

The closure was a direct consequence of the dissolution of the Soviet Union and the subsequent large-scale restructuring and downsizing of the Ukrainian military. The primary unit stationed at the base, the 943rd Maritime Missile Aviation Regiment, was disbanded. Its fleet of Tupolev Tu-22M 'Backfire' strategic bombers was eliminated as part of Ukraine's commitment to nuclear disarmament under international treaties, including the Nunn-Lugar Cooperative Threat Reduction program. With its sole operational unit and strategic aircraft gone, the base became redundant. The newly independent Ukraine lacked the economic resources to maintain the vast number of military airfields inherited from the USSR, leading to the abandonment of Okhtyrka and many similar facilities.

The air base is completely abandoned and in a state of severe dereliction. Satellite imagery confirms that the runway, taxiways, and numerous aircraft revetments (hardened aircraft shelters) are crumbling, heavily weathered, and being reclaimed by nature. Most of the support buildings and technical infrastructure have been dismantled over the years for scrap materials or have collapsed due to neglect. The site is non-functional and exists as a decaying relic of the Cold War era. During the initial phase of the 2022 Russian invasion, the city of Okhtyrka was the scene of intense fighting (the Battle of Okhtyrka), but the abandoned air base itself was not used for any aviation operations and remains inactive.

During the Cold War, Okhtyrka Air Base was a strategically vital military installation for the Soviet Union. It was the home of the 943rd Maritime Missile-Carrying Aviation Regiment (943rd MRAP), which was part of the Black Sea Fleet's Naval Aviation. This regiment operated a fleet of long-range, supersonic Tupolev Tu-22M2 and later Tu-22M3 'Backfire' bombers (having previously flown the Tu-16 'Badger'). The primary mission of these aircraft was anti-carrier warfare; they were tasked with finding and destroying NATO aircraft carrier strike groups and other major naval assets in the Atlantic Ocean and the Mediterranean Sea. To this end, they were armed with powerful, long-range, nuclear-capable anti-ship missiles, most notably the Kh-22 (AS-4 'Kitchen'). The base was therefore a critical component of the Soviet Union's strategic power projection and nuclear deterrent against NATO naval forces.

There are no known or publicly discussed plans for reopening Okhtyrka Air Base. The entire infrastructure, including the runway, taxiways, and support facilities, has deteriorated to a point where it would require a complete and prohibitively expensive reconstruction. Given the immense financial costs of the ongoing war and future national reconstruction, Ukraine's resources are focused on maintaining and upgrading active military facilities and rebuilding critical civilian infrastructure. The reopening of a long-abandoned Cold War-era base like Okhtyrka is not considered a viable or priority project.