Dyagilevo (also given as Dyagilevo, Ryazan Dyagilevo) is an air base in

Ryazan Oblast Ryazan Oblast ( rus, Рязанская область, r=Ryazanskaya oblast, p=rʲɪˈzanskəjə ˈobləsʲtʲ) is a federal subject of Russia (an oblast). Its administrative center is the city of Ryazan, which is the oblast's largest city. Geo ...

Russia Russia (, , ), or the Russian Federation, is a transcontinental country spanning Eastern Europe and Northern Asia. It is the largest country in the world, with its internationally recognised territory covering , and encompassing one-eigh ...

, 3 km west of

Ryazan Ryazan ( rus, Рязань, p=rʲɪˈzanʲ, a=ru-Ryazan.ogg) is the largest city and administrative center of Ryazan Oblast, Russia. The city is located on the banks of the Oka River in Central Russia, southeast of Moscow. As of the 2010 Cens ...

. It serves as a training center for Russia's strategic bomber force. The base is home to the 203rd Guards Orlovsky Independent Aircraft-refuelling Aviation Regiment with the

Ilyushin Il-78 The Ilyushin Il-78 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-78; NATO reporting name Midas) is a Soviet/Russian four-engined aerial refueling tanker based on the Il-76 strategic airlifter. Design and development The Soviet Union's first dedicated ...

/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. The

Ryazan Museum of Long-Range Aviation Ryazan Museum of Long-Range Aviation (russian: Рязанский музей дальней авиации) is a Russian thematic museum and exhibition complex located on the territory of the 43rd Air Force Flight Training and Retraining Center at ...

is located on the base.

History

In 1955 it was one of only 6 Soviet bases capable of handling the

Myasishchev M-4 The Myasishchev M-4 ''Molot'' (russian: Молот (Hammer), USAF/DoD reporting name "Type 37", ASCC reporting name Bison) was a four-engined strategic bomber designed by Vladimir Mikhailovich Myasishchev and manufactured by the Soviet Union in ...

bomber. In 1967 it had 7

Tupolev Tu-22 The Tupolev Tu-22 ( NATO reporting name: Blinder) was the first supersonic bomber to enter production in the Soviet Union. Manufactured by Tupolev, the Tu-22 entered service with the Soviet military in the 1960s. The aircraft was a disappoint ...

s used for training. In 1973 it received 2

Tupolev Tu-22M The Tupolev Tu-22M (russian: Туполев Ту-22М; NATO reporting name: Backfire) is a supersonic, variable-sweep wing, long-range strategic and maritime strike bomber developed by the Tupolev Design Bureau in the 1960s. According to so ...

(NATO: Backfire) aircraft. It was also home to 43 TsBPiPLS (43rd Center for Combat Application and Training of Air Crew) which included the Tu-22M,

Tupolev Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of t ...

MS (NATO: Bear), and

Tupolev Tu-134 The Tupolev Tu-134 ( NATO reporting name: Crusty) is a twin-engined, narrow-body jet airliner built in the Soviet Union for short and medium-haul routes from 1966 to 1989. The original version featured a glazed-nose design and, like certain ...

UBL (NATO: Crusty) trainer. 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. By 1994 it received 24

Tu-95 The Tupolev Tu-95 (russian: Туполев Ту-95; NATO reporting name: "Bear") is a large, four-engine turboprop-powered strategic bomber and missile platform. First flown in 1952, the Tu-95 entered service with the Long-Range Aviation of th ...

K (Bear-G) bombers for decommissioning under the

START II START II (Strategic Arms Reduction Treaty) was a bilateral treaty between the United States and Russia on the Reduction and Limitation of Strategic Offensive Arms. It was signed by US President George H. W. Bush and Russian President Boris Yel ...

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. * 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 Ryazan - Dyagilevo

Air Power Review reported in 2004 that the 203rd Independent Orel Air Regiment of Guards (Air Tankers) operating

Il-78 The Ilyushin Il-78 (russian: Илью́шин Ил-78; NATO reporting name Midas) is a Soviet/Russian four-engined aerial refueling tanker based on the Il-76 strategic airlifter. Design and development The Soviet Union's first dedicated ...

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. 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. The

Engels Air Force Base Engels Air Force Base (russian: Энгельс, formally Engels-2) is a strategic bomber military airbase in Russia located east of Saratov. Engels is a major bomber operations base, and is Russia's sole operating location for the Tupolev Tu- ...

was also raided on the same night. On 14 December, a

Shahed-136 The HESA Shahed 136 ( fa, شاهد ۱۳۶, literally " Witness-136"), or Geran-2 in Russian service, is an Iranian loitering munition in the form of an autonomous pusher-prop drone. It is designed and manufactured by Shahed Aviation Industr ...

drone that exploded in Kyiv apartment building had “For Ryazan“ written on it in Russian.

References

Soviet Long Range Aviation bases Russian Air Force bases {{Russia-mil-stub