Soltsy-2 Air Base (Soltsy)

Soltsy-2 is a military air base located in Novgorod Oblast, Russia, approximately 2 km north of Soltsy and 72 km southwest of Novgorod. The base was built in 1951 and is owned by the Ministry of Defence, operated by the Russian Aerospace Forces, and controlled by Long-Range Aviation. It features large aircraft revetments and a separate compound of 9 hardened areas. The base is home to the 40th Composite Aviation Regiment, which operates the Tu-22M aircraft as part of the 22nd Guards Heavy Bomber Aviation Division. Historically, the 840th Heavy Bomber Aviation Regiment (840 TBAP) flew Tupolev Tu-22 aircraft from this base from November 1951 until its disbandment in 2010. The headquarters of the 326th Heavy Bomber Aviation Division was also located here from 1992 until 1998 when it moved to Ukrainka. The airfield is maintained for occasional training of Russian Aerospace Forces and to service governmental flights in the Novgorod region. The Natural Resources Defense Council lists Soltsy-2 as a nuclear weapons facility. On August 19, 2023, the air base was attacked by drones, resulting in reported damage to a Tupolev Tu-22M long-range bomber. Satellite imagery indicated that aircraft were evacuated from the base following the attack, with the burnt remains of one Tu-22M3 observed.