Dyagilevo (air base)
Dyagilevo (also given as Dyagilevo, Ryazan Dyagilevo) is an air base in Ryazan Oblast, Russia, 3 km west of Ryazan. It serves as a training center for Russia's strategic bomber force.
Dyagilevo Ryazan/Dyagilevo | |||||||
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авиабаза Дягилево | |||||||
Ryazan, Ryazan Oblast in Russia | |||||||
Dyagilevo Shown within Ryazan Oblast Dyagilevo Dyagilevo (Russia) | |||||||
Coordinates | 54°38′30″N 039°34′18″E | ||||||
Type | Air Base | ||||||
Site information | |||||||
Owner | Ministry of Defence | ||||||
Operator | Russian Aerospace Forces | ||||||
Controlled by | Long-Range Aviation | ||||||
Site history | |||||||
In use | - present | ||||||
Airfield information | |||||||
Identifiers | ICAO: UUBD | ||||||
Elevation | 134 metres (440 ft) AMSL | ||||||
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The base is home to the 203rd Guards Orlovsky Independent Aircraft-refuelling Aviation Regiment with the Ilyushin Il-78/78M and the 49th Instructor Red Banner Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment as part of the 43rd Guards Oryol Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Long-Range Aviation Flight Personnel.[1]
The Ryazan Museum of Long-Range Aviation is located on the base.
History
In 1955 it was one of only 6 Soviet bases capable of handling the Myasishchev M-4 bomber. In 1967 it had 7 Tupolev Tu-22s used for training.[2] In 1973 it received 2 Tupolev Tu-22M (NATO: Backfire) aircraft.[2] It was also home to 43 TsBPiPLS (43rd Center for Combat Application and Training of Air Crew) which included the Tu-22M, Tupolev Tu-95MS (NATO: Bear), and Tupolev Tu-134UBL (NATO: Crusty) trainer.[3] In 1985 the 49 TBAP (49th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment) arrived at Dyagilevo, flying Tu-22M and Tu-95 aircraft and eventually converting into an ITBAP (training regiment). The 49th Regiment was part of the 43rd Centre, and eventually disbanded in 1997.[4]
By 1994 it received 24 Tu-95K (Bear-G) bombers for decommissioning under the START II treaty. A number of Tu-16, Tu-22, and M-4 aircraft are mothballed here.
As of 2009, the ww2.dk website reported that three units were active at the airbase.[5]
- 1st Instructor Heavy Bomber Aviation Squadron (Tu-22M3 and Tu-134)
- 2nd Instructor Heavy Bomber Aviation Squadron (Tu-95MS and An-26)
- 43rd Guards Orlovskiy Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Personnel
Air Power Review reported in 2004 that the 203rd Independent Orel Air Regiment of Guards (Air Tankers) operating Il-78 and Il-78M was stationed at the base. Formed 6 July 1941 at Monino near Moscow as the 412th Aviation Regiment, with TB-7 (Pe-8) heavy bombers. Renamed 432nd AP several weeks later. Renamed 25th AP DD of Guards 19 September 1943. 1230th AP (SZ) renamed 203rd OAP (SZ) 1 December 1994.[3]
On 5 December 2022, the base was attacked by Ukrainian drones which damaged a Tu-22M3 bomber and destroyed a fuel truck; three personnel were killed and five injured.[6] The Engels Air Force Base was also raided on the same night. On 14 December, a Shahed-136 drone that exploded in Kyiv apartment building had “For Ryazan“ written on it in Russian. [7]
References
- "Ryazan/Dyagilevo (UUBD)". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 4 December 2022.
- Gordon, Yefim (1999). Tupelov Tu-22 'Blinder' Tu-22M 'Backfire'. Midland Publishing. ISBN 1-85780-065-6.
- Butowski, Pyotr (Summer 2004). International Air Power Review : Air Power Analysis: Russian Federation. AIRtime Publishing, Inc.
- Michael Holm, 49th Instructor Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment, accessed August 2012.
- "43rd Center for Combat Employment and Retraining of Personnel DA". Ww2.dk. Retrieved 2022-09-17.
- Roth, Andrew; Sauer, Pjotr (2022-12-05). "Explosions rock two Russian airbases far from Ukraine frontline". The Guardian. Retrieved 2022-12-05.
- Tom Balmforth and Pavel Polityuk (2022-12-14). "Russia launches drone attack on Kyiv, Ukraine hails air defences". Reuters. Retrieved 2022-12-14.