Khalino

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Kursk Vostochny Airport
Аэропорт Курск-Восточный
Satellite imagery of Khalino air base
Summary
Airport typeCivilian, Military
OwnerRussian Aerospace Forces
Operator6th Air and Air Defence Forces Army
LocationKursk, Kursk Oblast, Russia
Elevation AMSL686 ft / 209 m
Coordinates51°45′6″N 36°17′48″E / 51.75167°N 36.29667°E / 51.75167; 36.29667
Websiteaerokursk.ru
Map
Kursk Vostochny is located in Kursk Oblast
Kursk Vostochny
Kursk Vostochny
Shown within Kursk Oblast, Russia
Show map of Kursk Oblast
Kursk Vostochny is located in Russia
Kursk Vostochny
Kursk Vostochny
Kursk Vostochny (Russia)
Show map of Russia
Runways
Direction Length Surface
m ft
12/30 2,500 8,202 Concrete

Kursk Vostochny Airport (Russian: Аэропорт Курск-Восточный) (IATA: URS, ICAO: UUOK),[1] also known as Khalino airbase, Kursk-Khalino, is an interceptor aircraft base in Kursk Oblast, Russia, with a single 2,500 m (8,200 ft) runway located 7 km east of Kursk. It has been used for many decades as a military airbase and has had periods of time when it was also utilized as a commercial airport. It is located 4 miles northeast of Kursk and is considered a medium-sized base, with several alert pads. A civilian tarmac is located on the southern side of the airfield, which utilizes the common runway facilities.

History

Since 1940, the 48th Long-Range Bomber Aviation Division was formed at the airfield, with its regiments stationed at the Kursk airfields.

From March 1958 to April 1961, the 178th Air Defense Fighter Aviation Regiment, flying MiG-15 and MiG-17 aircraft, was based at the airfield. The regiment was relocated from Oreshkino Airfield (Kaluga) and performed air defense missions, forming part of the 15th Guards Fighter Aviation Division until its disbandment.[2] From April 1979 until its disbandment on May 1, 1998, the 472nd Air Defense Fighter Aviation Regiment, flying MiG-23S aircraft, was based at the airfield, performing air defense missions and forming part of the 7th Air Defense Corps (since 1994, the 7th Air Defense Division).[3]

A MiG-29 SMT of the 14th Guards Fighter Aviation Regiment during the Caucasus 2016 exercises. September 7, 2016.

Khalino airbase was home to:

On May 14, 2021, the airport was named after Soviet aeronautical engineer Mikhail Gurevich.[9][10]

All commercial flight activity at the airport was banned by Russian authorities at the start of the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, starting at 03:45 on 24 February 2022.[11]

Russian invasion of Ukraine

NASA's FIRMS detected fires 30 July 2024 23:29:00 (UTC) at two military storage facilities south of the air base

On 6 December 2022 the airport’s oil storage caught fire.[12] The Kursk governor blamed the fire on a drone strike amid the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[12]

On 2 June 2023, Ukrainian sources reported several Su-34 combat aircraft located at the airport were damaged/destroyed, along with a single MiG-29 and a Pantsir-S1 air defense missile system. The information has not yet been verified independently.[13]

On 31 July 2024 the Armed Forces of Ukraine struck military storage near the airbase, causing fire detected by NASA's FIRMS.[14]

On 3 July 2025, an aviation arsenal at Khalino airbase was struck by Ukrainian drones, leading to an explosion believed to include ammunition for the Pantsir-S1, one of which was “probably” damaged.[15]

Airlines and destinations

RusLine provided limited scheduled commercial service to Moscow–Vnukovo as of 2018,[16] and to Saint Petersburg and Sochi as of 2019.[17] All commercial service at the airport was halted in February 2022 due to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.[11]

Statistics

PassengersYear30,00040,00050,00060,00070,00080,00090,000100,000110,000201620172018201920202021PassengersAnnual passenger traffic

See also

References

  1. Airport Kursk (Vostochny)
  2. M.Holm (2019-05-30). "178th Fighter Aviation Regiment PVO". Luftvaffe. M.Holm. Retrieved 2019-05-30.
  3. M.Holm (2013-01-06). "472nd Fighter Aviation Regiment PVO". Luftvaffe. M.Holm. Retrieved 2013-01-06.
  4. "Aviatsiya PVO". Aviabaza KPOI.
  5. Butowski, Pyotr (2004). Air Power Analysis: Russian Federation. AIRtime Publishing, Inc.
  6. "Russian Air Force today - Russian Western Military District". Eastern Order of Battle. Retrieved 15 February 2022.
  7. "14th Guards Leningradskiy Red Banner order of Kutuzov Fighter Aviation Regiment im. Zhdanov". Soviet Armed Forces 1945-1991. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  8. "Russian Air Force - Kursk/Vostochnyy (Khalino) (UUOK)". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 8 December 2022.
  9. "Курский аэропорт обрёл имя". Курская правда (in Russian). 2021-06-17. Archived from the original on 2021-07-25. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  10. "Курскому аэропорту присвоили имя Михаила Гуревича". 46ТВ Курское Интернет Телевидение (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2021-12-13. Retrieved 2021-12-13.
  11. "Росавиация продлила закрытие аэропортов на юге России до 7 мая". newizv.ru (in Russian). Archived from the original on 2022-05-02. Retrieved 2022-05-02.
  12. "Drone strikes oil tank at airfield in Russia's Kursk region". Reuters. 6 December 2022. Retrieved 6 December 2022.
  13. "NOELREPORTS 🇪🇺 🇺🇦 (@NOELreports)". Nitter. Retrieved 2023-06-02.
  14. "Ukrainian Navy strikes at weapons depots on the outskirts of Kursk". Militarnyi. 31 July 2024. Retrieved 2024-07-31.
  15. Taras Safronov. "Ukrainian Forces Destroy Aviation Weapons Depot at Khalyno Airfield". militarnyi. Retrieved 2025-07-04.
  16. Авиакомпания "РусЛайн" меняет аэропорт базирования в Москве. www.rusline.aero (in Russian). Airline "RusLine". Retrieved 19 March 2018.
  17. ""РусЛайн" откроет рейсы из Курска в Сочи". Interfax-Tourism. 4 December 2019. Retrieved 4 December 2019.