Ukrainka (air base)

For the Ukrainian poet and writer, see Lesya Ukrainka.

Ukrainka
IATA: none ICAO: none
Summary
Airport type	Military
Operator	Russian Air Force
Location	Belogorsk
Elevation AMSL	771 ft / 235 m
Coordinates	51°10′12″N 128°26′42″E
Runways
Direction Length Surface ft m 11,483 3,500 Concrete

Ukrainka (also given as Ookrainka and Seryshevo) is one of Russia's largest strategic air force bases in the Far East. It is located in Amur Oblast, Russia, 28 km north of Belogorsk. It is a major nuclear bomber base, with large tarmacs and nearly 40 revetments.

In 1955 it was only one of six Soviet bases capable of handling the Myasishchev M-4 (Bison) bomber. It received the Tu-22 (Blinder) in the 1960s-1970s. By the 1980s its fleet consisted of a large number of Tu-95K22 (Bear-G) and a smaller number of Tu-95K (Bear-B) aircraft. By 1994 it had converted all of its aircraft to Tu-95MS (Bear-H) standards. In 1998 it had 16 Tu-95MS16 and 27 Tu-95MS6, according to START-1 treaty documents[#21]. Sister of Zavitinsk.

Units stationed at Ukrainka have included:

• 73 TBAP (73rd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment) with 42 Tu-95 bombers in the mid-1990s, many from Dolon.
• 40 Gv TBAP (40th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment) with Myasishchev 3M bombers starting 1957, Tu-95, Tu-134, and An-26 aircraft through the 1980s and 1990s.

Current units stationed include:

• Headquarters, 326 Heavy Bomber Aviation Division (326 TBAD)
• 79 Gv TBAP (79th Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment) with Myasishchev 3M bombers starting 1957 and Tu-95 aircraft through the 1980s and 1990s.
• 326 TBAP (326th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment) flying Tupolev Tu-95 aircraft as recently as 2006. .

It seems likely that the 326th is actually the Division currently stationed at the base, with the 79th and 182nd Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiments, flying Tu-95MSs, under its control, along with two Tu-22M regiments at other Far Eastern bases.