Olenya Air Base (Olenegorsk/Vysokiy)

Olenya, also known as Olenegorsk, is a Russian military air base located on the Kola Peninsula, 92 km south of Murmansk. It is operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces, specifically subordinate to the Long-Range Aviation branch. The base was first detected by US intelligence in 1957 and served as a forward deployment field for Long Range Aviation, functioning as one of nine Arctic staging facilities for potential nuclear strikes. Its 3500-meter concrete runway is the longest on the Kola Peninsula. Historically, it hosted the 924th Naval Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment (operating Tupolev Tu-22M aircraft), the 88th Separate Fighter-Bomber Aviation Regiment (operating Mikoyan MiG-27 aircraft, disbanded in 1995), and the Operational Group Arctic (maintaining standby facilities for Tupolev Tu-95 bomber aircraft).

The base is home to the 40th Composite Aviation Regiment, part of the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division, which operates in both maritime-attack and land-strike roles. Satellite imagery in 2006 showed nearly 40 Tupolev Tu-22M bombers, and by October 2022, 7 Tu-160 and 4 Tu-95 aircraft were observed. Notable events include the Tu-95V aircraft carrying the Tsar Bomba taking off from the airbase on October 30, 1961. In January 2019, a Tu-22M3 crashed upon landing, resulting in three crew fatalities. In November 2019, the first test launch of the Kh-47M2 Kinzhal air-launched ballistic missile in the Arctic was reportedly conducted from the airbase by a MiG-31K.

During the Russo-Ukrainian War, the base has been subjected to drone attacks, with Ukrainian intelligence claiming a hit on a Tu-22M3 bomber in July 2024, and a swarm drone attack reported in June 2025 as part of Operation Spider's Web, targeting long-range bombers.