Russia converts Kerch Airport in Crimea into military base, investigation shows
Kerch Airport in occupied Crimea is being repurposed from civilian to military use, according to a June 12 investigation by Radio Free Europe/Radio Liberty’s Schemes project, citing satellite imagery and Russian real estate registry data.
On March 4, 2025, the Russian-backed authorities officially transferred part of the airport’s land to Russia’s Defense Ministry for indefinite use, according to the investigation.
Russia illegally annexed Crimea in 2014 after a discredited referendum under military occupation. Since then, the peninsula has become a heavily militarized zone.
Satellite images from the Planet Labs imaging company show ongoing construction at the site, including the installation of protective and camouflage structures around the runway.
The changes suggest the airport is being converted into a military facility capable of supporting drone operations or housing short-range air defense systems such as the Pantsir-S1 or Tor-M2, according to aviation expert Anatoly Khrapchinsky.
The new runway will be suitable for drone launches, Khrapchinsky noted.
Kerch Airport has not hosted regular commercial flights since 2007 and was previously used as a truck holding area for freight vehicles crossing the nearby ferry. That function was relocated in March 2025, officially as part of a “reorganization."
The city of Kerch, situated near the strategic Kerch Strait, lies just across from Russia’s Krasnodar Krai and is home to the crucial Crimean Bridge, built after Russia’s illegal annexation of the peninsula in 2014.
The Kyiv IndependentTim Zadorozhnyy