Starokostiantyniv Air Base

In the early 1990s the airbase became home to the 7th Bomber Aviation Regiment flying Sukhoi Su-24M aircraft. During the Cold War the 85th Fighter Aviation Regiment was also located at the base.[2]

On February 13, 1992, shortly after the Soviet Union collapse, the pilots of this airbase hijacked 6 Su-24 airplanes to Russia. To avoid interception by the air defense systems of Ukraine, they flew to Russia through Belarus.[3]

After the Regiment became a Ukrainian formation it was subordinate to the 35th Aviation Group.[4]

Later, the Regiment was reorganized into a Bomber and Reconnaissance Brigade.

On 19 May 2004, 32 Orae was formed from the former 48 BrTA at Kolomyia. In October 2005 the former 32 Independent Reconnaissance Aviation Squadron at Kolminya joined the brigade as its reconnaissance aviation squadron.[5]

In 2005-2006 the Brigade became first Air Force formation to be composed of professional soldiers and not conscripts.[6]

In October 2018, exercise Clear Sky 2018 in collaboration with the 194th Fighter Squadron, 144th Fighter Wing, California Air National Guard took place in Starokostiantyniv Air Base. During Clear Sky 2018, 120 sorties using tactical aircraft, 49 helicopter sorties and 20 cargo aircraft sorties were carried out.

The sole McDonnell Douglas F-15D Eagle came from the 48th Fighter Wing, RAF Lakenheath, UK, giving the Californian contingent a two-seat Eagle to provide backseat rides to their hosts. The Ukraine Air Force's two-seat aircraft were often used for familiarization sorties and exchange backseat rides during exercise.[7]

In the late afternoon on October 16, 2018, while carrying out one of these single-aircraft familiarization flights, a Sukhoi Su-27UB1M (‘70 Blue’) crashed resulting in the death of the two pilots, Colonel Ivan Nikolayevich Petrenko, deputy commander of Eastern Air Command/Ukrainian Air Force, and Lt. Colonel Seth ‘Jethro’ Nehring of the California ANG/144th Fighter Wing.[8][7]

During the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine, on 6 March 2022, the base was targetted by Russian missile strike, damaging its infrastructure.[9]

The following aircraft are based at the air base:

• Sukhoi Su-24
• Mikoyan MiG-29
• L-39 Albatros