Kerch Airport in occupied Crimea is being repurposed from civilian to army use, in response to a June 12 investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty's Schemes mission, citing satellite tv for pc imagery and Russian actual property registry knowledge.
On March 4, 2025, the Russian-backed authorities formally transferred a part of the airport's land to Russia's Protection Ministry for indefinite use, in response to the investigation.
Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 after a discredited referendum underneath army occupation. Since then, the peninsula has grow to be a closely militarized zone.
Satellite tv for pc pictures from the Planet Labs imaging firm present ongoing development on the web site, together with the set up of protecting and camouflage constructions across the runway.
The adjustments counsel the airport is being transformed right into a army facility able to supporting drone operations or housing short-range air protection methods such because the Pantsir-S1 or Tor-M2, in response to aviation knowledgeable Anatoly Khrapchinsky.
The brand new runway might be appropriate for drone launches, Khrapchinsky famous.
Kerch Airport has not hosted common industrial flights since 2007 and was beforehand used as a truck holding space for freight automobiles crossing the close by ferry. That perform was relocated in March 2025, formally as a part of a "reorganization."
The town of Kerch, located close to the strategic Kerch Strait, lies simply throughout from Russia's Krasnodar Krai and is dwelling to the essential Crimean Bridge, constructed after Russia's unlawful annexation of the peninsula in 2014.
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy