Melitopol (ICAO: UKDM) is an air base belonging to the Ukrainian Air Force located near Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast. It has been occupied by Russia since March 2022.
Melitopol | |||||||
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| Melitopol, Zaporizhzhia Oblast in Ukraine | |||||||
  Melitopol Shown within Zaporizhzhia Oblast  Melitopol Melitopol (Ukraine) | |||||||
| Coordinates | 46°52′36″N 035°18′27″E / 46.87667°N 35.30750°E | ||||||
| Site information | |||||||
| Owner | Ministry of Defense (Ukraine) (de jure) Ministry of Defense (Russia) (de facto) | ||||||
| Operator | Ukrainian Air Force (de jure) Russian Aerospace Forces (de facto) | ||||||
| Controlled by | Air Force Command | ||||||
| Condition | Damaged | ||||||
| Site history | |||||||
| In use | Unknown - present | ||||||
| Fate | Captured by Russian forces | ||||||
| Battles/wars | 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine | ||||||
| Airfield information | |||||||
| Identifiers | ICAO: UKDM | ||||||
| Elevation | 266 metres (873 ft) AMSL | ||||||
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The base was home to the 25th Transport Aviation Brigade flying Ilyushin Il-76M/MD, Ilyushin Il-78 and Antonov An-26 aircraft.[1]
Melitopol Air Base was bombarded early in the morning on 24 February 2022, as part of the initial Russian strikes on Ukrainian military bases in the early hours of the invasion. Cruise missiles hit the control tower, a fueling station, and an Il-76 preparing for takeoff, killing an aviation technician.[2]
The base was captured by Russian forces on 1 March 2022 during the 2022 Russian invasion of Ukraine.[citation needed] On 3 July it was hit by Ukrainian rocket strikes.[3]
References
edit- ^ "Ukraine Air Force". Scramble.nl. Retrieved 26 February 2022.
- ^ Joshua Yaffa (2022-05-16). "A Ukrainian City Under a Violent New Regime". The New Yorker. Retrieved 2024-03-12.
- ^ "Ukraine hits Russian military base in occupied Melitopol, exiled mayor says". Reuters. Retrieved 3 July 2022.