Russia to move additional fighter jets to Crimea
Interfax reports that the Su-27SM and Su-30M2 fighters will return to the Crimean airfield Belbek after the reconstruction of the airfield is complete.
“On December 22nd, 2018 more than 10 Su-27SM and Su-30M2 fighters from the fighter jets regiment of the 4th Air Force and Air Defense Army will fly from the Krymsk airfield in the Krasnodar region to Belbek in the Republic of Crimea to the place of their permanent deployment,” said the Russian Ministry of Defense in a statement.
The fighters were in the Kuban region during the reconstruction of the Crimean airfield. Construction works are being carried out since the spring of 2018. The construction of the first stage facilities is now completed including a new runway with a length of 3450 meters, taxiways and parking spaces for aircraft and special-purpose areas.
Earlier, the Ukrainian Ministry of Higher Education and Technology reported that the Russian Federation moved fighters and other military equipment to the open parking of the Belbek airfield near Sevastopol.