Primorsko-Akhtarsk air base

Primorsko-Akhtarsk is an air base of the Russian Aerospace Forces as part of the 4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army, Southern Military District.

Primorsko-Akhtarsk
Primorsko-Akhtarsk, Krasnodar Krai in Russia
Satellite imagery of Primorsko-Akhtarsk air base
Primorsko-Akhtarsk air base, Russia
Primorsko-Akhtarsk Shown within Krasnodar Krai Show map of Krasnodar Krai Primorsko-Akhtarsk Primorsko-Akhtarsk (Russia) Show map of Russia
Coordinates	46°03′26″N 38°13′48″E
Site information
Owner	Ministry of Defence
Operator	Russian Aerospace Forces
Controlled by	4th Air and Air Defence Forces Army
Site history
Built	1954 (1954)
In use	1954 - present
Battles/wars	Russian invasion of Ukraine
Airfield information
Elevation	6 metres (20 ft) AMSL
Runways Direction Length and surface 09/27 2,500 metres (8,202 ft) Concrete

The base was first used in 1954 by a regiment (1689th) of the Yeysk aviation school. Today it is home to the 960th Assault Aviation Regiment (960th ShAP) which has two squadrons of Sukhoi Su-25SM/SM3 (NATO: Frogfoot-A)^[1][2]

The 559th Bomber Aviation Regiment deployed here from Morozovsk air base with their Sukhoi Su-34s as part of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.^[3]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

On 2 July 2023 Russian Telegram channels claimed that Russian air defences had "downed a missile" leaving a 10m deep, 4m wide crater some 200 metres from the runway. The airbase is used, according to Ukraine, to launch Shahed-136 type drones and Kalibr missiles.^[4]

Planet Labs satellite imagery from 28 December 2023 of the air base showed decoy fighter jets painted on the hardstand in an apparent deception tactic against Ukrainian attacks. Similar painted decoys have been seen at Kirovske and Yeysk air base.^[5][6]

See also

• List of military airbases in Russia

References

1. "Russian Air Force today - Russian Southern Military District". Eastern Order of Battle. Retrieved 19 February 2022.
2. AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. March 2022. p. 42.
3. AirForces Monthly. Stamford, Lincolnshire, England: Key Publishing Ltd. December 2022. p. 30.
4. Alexander Khrebet (2 July 2023). "Explosion reported near airfield in southern Russia". Kyiv Independent. Retrieved 4 July 2023.
5. Epstein, Jake (2024-01-08). "Russia painted fake fighter jets at its airfields, new satellite images show, likely to trick Ukraine into not blowing up the real deal". businessinsider.com. Retrieved 2024-11-02.
6. Saballa, Joe (2024-04-08). "Russia Painting Fighter Jet Decoys on Airfields Amid Heavy Losses: Intel". thedefensepost.com. Retrieved 2024-11-02.