Vasylkiv Air Base

Vasylkiv (also Vasyl'kiv) was an air base of the Ukrainian Air Force located near Vasylkiv, Kyiv Oblast, Ukraine. The base was home to the 40th Tactical Aviation Brigade.[1]

Vasylkiv
Vasylkiv, Kyiv Oblast in Ukraine
Vasylkiv is located in Kyiv Oblast
Vasylkiv
Vasylkiv
Shown within Ukraine
Vasylkiv is located in Ukraine
Vasylkiv
Vasylkiv
Vasylkiv (Ukraine)
Coordinates50°14′0″N 030°18′0″E
Site information
OwnerMinistry of Defence
OperatorUkrainian Air Force
Controlled byAir Command Central
Site history
Built1938 (1938) (commissioned)
Fatedestroyed in 2022
Battles/wars2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine
Airfield information
IdentifiersICAO: UKKW
Elevation205 metres (673 ft) AMSL
Runways
Direction Length and surface
13/31 2,465 metres (8,087 ft) Concrete

History

On the beginning of Operation Barbarossa in June 1941, the airfield was host to the 36th Fighter Aviation Division of the Air Defence Forces, comprising the 2nd, 43rd, 254th, and 255th Fighter Aviation Regiments.[2]

Units stationed at Vasylkiv included the 146th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment (146 Gv IAP) flying 41 Mikoyan-Gurevich MiG-25PD aircraft.[3] The regiment arrived at the base in 1950. The regiment was subordinate to the 19th Air Defence Division, which was reorganised as the 49th Air Defence Corps in June 1989. Both formations were part of the 8th Air Defence Army. The regiment was taken over by Ukraine on 1 June 1992 and then disbanded 1 June 1993.[4]

The 92nd Red Banner Fighter Aviation Regiment arrived from Mukachevo (air base) in 1993, and was briefly stationed at the base before disbanding in 1994. The regiment was flying Mikoyan MiG-29s at the time.[5]

The air base was the focus of fighting during the Battle of Vasylkiv, part of the Kyiv offensive in the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine. It was destroyed on 12 March 2022 along with its airstrip after Russian missile strikes.[6]

Aircraft

According to Google Earth imagery, as of March 3, 2020

References
  1. "Ukraine Air Force". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
  2. "Состав и дислокация авиационных корпусов, дивизий и бригад ВВС Красной Армии на 22 июня 1941 г." www.soldat.ru. Retrieved 2022-12-16., based upon Калашников К.А., Феськов В.И., Чмыхало А.Ю., Голиков В.И. "Красная Армия в июне 1941 года (статистический сборник)". - Томск: Изд-во Том. ун-та, 2001. - 200 с.
  3. "Aviatsiya PVO". Aviabaza KPOI.
  4. Michael Holm, 146th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment, accessed December 2012.
  5. Michael Holm, , accessed December 2012.
  6. "Airport completely destroyed due to missile attacks by invader in Vasylkiv, Kyiv region – mayor". Interfax-Ukraine. 12 March 2022. Retrieved 12 March 2022.
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