Tiraspol Airport Explained

Tiraspol
Icao:LUTR
Location:Tiraspol
Coordinates:46.8725°N 29.5844°W
Timezone:+2
Utc:EET
Summer:+3
Utcs:EEST
Elevation-M:36
R1-Number:16/34
R1-Length-M:2500х44
R1-Surface:Concrete
Pushpin Map:Moldova Transnistria

Tiraspol Airport is an airport located in Tiraspol.[1] It previously served as a military air base.[2]

History

Until 1989, it was used as a military airfield of the Soviet Air Forces. In 1991, work began on converting the airfield into a commercial airport, which would be the largest in Transnistria. These works were suspended due to the lack of funding and the political unsettledness of the status of Transnistria, which did not allow the customs and border services of the Republic of Moldova to be located at the airport and, consequently, to fly outside the country. Nevertheless, during the reconstruction of Chișinău International Airport in 1999–2000, the Tiraspol Airport was used to carry out regular flights, for which, according to the temporary scheme, the presence of the registration and customs-border service of Chișinău International Airport was organized at the Tiraspol Airport.

Until 2012, car races were held at the airfield.[3] The airfield was used for training before the 2 September and 9 May parades.[4]

In October 2012, Transnistrian President Yevgeny Shevchuk announced his intention to create a civilian airport in Tiraspol on the territory of a military airfield.[5] The head of the delegation of the State Duma of Russia, Sergei Gavrilov, confirmed that the reconstruction would be paid with funds provided by Russia.[6] [7] In the same year, the runway was restored before the arrival of Russian military specialists.[8]

On October 23, 2012, Russian Antonov An-72 aircraft landed in Tiraspol, marking the first flight since 1998. On October 25, 2012, the aircraft flew to Chișinău.[9]

On May 10, 2016, Transnistrian President Shevchuk confirmed the intention to transform the Tiraspol airfield into a civilian airport, but indicated that "neither Moldova nor Ukraine are ready to give the appropriate permissions to transit through their territory or turn around through their territory."[10]

2022 attack

Following an attack on the security ministry building earlier in the same day, at 23:30 on 25 April 2022, the airport was attacked from the air, possibly by a drone strike; two explosives had been dropped on the air base of the airport. The windows and hood of a ZIL-131 truck were damaged.[11] There also were reports on that day that a military unit of the Armed Forces of Transnistria had been attacked near Parcani.[12] The Transnistrian authorities did not officially confirm the explosions in the Tiraspol Airport, which were initially reported by Moldova.[13] It was later clarified that both reports referred to the same event at the air base in Tiraspol.[14] [15]

2024 attack

On March 17, unknown actors launched a drone at Tiraspol airbase, with a video being released of an attack on a stationary Mi-8 helicopter, and subsequent pictures of what appears to be wreckage of a helicopter.[16] Transnistrian sources claimed that the attack was backed by Ukraine, while the Moldovan Bureau of Reintegration stated that the helicopter that was struck had not flown in years. The Russian Ministry of Foreign affairs spokesperson claimed that the strike was by Ukrainian forces to cause panic among Russian voters.[17] The attack came amidst ongoing tensions between Russia and Moldova over Transnistria.[18] [19]

See also

References

Notes

Notes and References

  1. Web site: Tiraspol wants its airport to be reopened. Cristi. Vlas. 28 December 2017. 2020-05-05. 2019-04-20. https://web.archive.org/web/20190420182139/https://www.moldova.org/en/tiraspol-wants-airport-reopened/. live.
  2. Web site: Russian Military Developments in Transnistria Worry Moldovan Officials. Jamestown. 2020-05-05. 2021-02-12. https://web.archive.org/web/20210212203817/https://jamestown.org/program/russian-military-developments-in-transnistria-worry-moldovan-officials/. live.
  3. Web site: 12 мая 2012 года на ВПП г. Тирасполя состоится ежегодный Кубок памяти Димы Криворученко . 2012-04-17 . Спортивный автоклуб "Racing Club" . https://web.archive.org/web/20130620043053/http://pmr-racing.ru/news/390-drag-day-2012.html . 2013-06-20 . On May 12, 2012, the annual Cup in memory of Dima Krivoruchenko will be held at the Tiraspol runway.
  4. Web site: В Тирасполе прошла тренировка парадных расчетов ко Дню Победы . 2017-04-28 . Информагентство «Новости Приднестровья» . Training of ceremonial crews for Victory Day was held in Tiraspol . 2022-08-31 . 2024-06-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240625071810/https://novostipmr.com/ru/news/17-04-28/v-tiraspole-proshla-trenirovka-paradnyh-raschetov-ko-dnyu-pobedy . live .
  5. Web site: В Тирасполе хотят создать пассажирский аэропорт . 2012-10-29 . Gazeta Panorama . https://web.archive.org/web/20131202233447/http://pan.md/news/V-Tiraspole-hotyat-sozdati-passajirskiy-aeroport/28296 . 2013-12-02 . Tiraspol wants to create a passenger airport.
  6. Web site: Аэропорт в Тирасполе будет строиться на российские деньги . 2012-11-01 . Рупор ПМР . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203000621/http://arc.rupor-pmr.ru/news/pridnestrove/aeroport-v-tiraspole-budet-stroitsya-na-rossiyskie-dengi . 2013-12-03.
  7. Web site: "Признание Приднестровья может произойти уже в ближайшее время": обзор СМИ Приднестровья . 2012-11-29 . . Sholar . Yevgeny . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203015402/http://www.regnum.ru/news/fd-abroad/balkans/analitics/1598079.html . 2013-12-03 . "Recognition of Pridnestrovie may happen in the near future": media review of Pridnestrovie.
  8. Web site: У нас таки будет аэропорт? . 2012-11-17 . Profvesti . Muntian . Maria . https://web.archive.org/web/20131203001211/http://profvesti.org/2012/11/17/9445/ . 2013-12-03 . Will we have an airport?.
  9. Web site: Российский военно-транспортный самолет прибыл из Тирасполя в Кишинев . 2012-10-25 . MoldNews . https://web.archive.org/web/20151125215644/http://moldnews.md/rus/news/53001 . 2015-11-25 . Russian military transport plane arrived from Tiraspol to Chisinau.
  10. Web site: Будет ли в Приднестровье аэропорт? . 2016-05-10 . Pridnestrovian State Television and Radio Company . https://web.archive.org/web/20160611162250/https://tv.pgtrk.ru/news/20160510/43785 . 2016-06-11 . Will there be an airport in Transnistria?.
  11. News: Explozia de la aerodromul de la Tiraspol s-a auzit la Parcani: Două obiecte explozive ar fi fost aruncate cu ajutorul unei drone. Unimedia. 26 April 2022. ro. 5 May 2022. 4 August 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220804210219/https://unimedia.info/ro/news/6eaaae55d440c834/explozia-de-la-aerodromul-de-la-tiraspol-s-a-auzit-la-parcani-doua-obiecte-explozive-ar-fi-fost-aruncate-cu-ajutorul-unei-drone.html?t=1650983353269. live.
  12. News: /VIDEO/ Ce se întâmplă în stânga Nistrului: Exploziile din zonă au creat panică și multe discuții în rândul oficialilor. TV8. 27 April 2022. ro. 31 August 2022. 30 May 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220530020731/https://tv8.md/2022/01/05/video-ce-se-intampla-in-stanga-nistrului-exploziile-din-zona-au-creat-panica-si-multe-discutii-in-randul-oficialilor/199400. live.
  13. News: Приднестровье становится "красной зоной". Svetlana. Gamova. Nezavisimoye Voyennoye Obozreniye. 26 April 2022. ru. 2022-08-31. 2022-05-02. https://web.archive.org/web/20220502113643/https://nvo.ng.ru/cis/2022-04-26/1_8427_transdniestria.html. live.
  14. News: Взрыв возле аэродрома в Тирасполе. Novosti v Pridnestrovye i Moldove. 26 April 2022. ru. https://web.archive.org/web/20220502111609/https://pridnestrovie-news.ru/2022/04/transnistria-259/. 2 May 2022. live.
  15. News: Теракты в Приднестровье: кому это выгодно? Что дальше?. Sergey. Artomenko. REGNUM News Agency. 27 April 2022. ru. 31 August 2022. 11 July 2022. https://web.archive.org/web/20220711155242/https://regnum.ru/news/3577032.html. live.
  16. Web site: The strange attack on a Mil Mi-8 helicopter in the Russian-occupied part of Moldova . 2024-03-18 . Counting Stars . en . 2024-03-17 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240317233947/https://www.outono.net/elentir/2024/03/17/the-strange-attack-on-a-mil-mi-8-helicopter-in-the-russian-occupied-part-of-moldova/ . live .
  17. Web site: МИД России . 2024-03-19 . Telegram . 2024-03-19 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240319094700/https://t.me/MID_Russia/36876 . live .
  18. Web site: Institute for the Study of War . 2024-03-18 . Institute for the Study of War . en . 2022-03-25 . https://web.archive.org/web/20220325065358/https://www.understandingwar.org/backgrounder/russian-offensive-campaign-assessment-march-24 . dead .
  19. Web site: García-Ajofrín . Lola . Transnistria tensions: Will Russia try to annex Moldova’s breakaway region? . 2024-03-18 . Al Jazeera . en . 2024-03-18 . https://web.archive.org/web/20240318004004/https://www.aljazeera.com/news/2024/2/28/transnistria-tensions-could-russia-try-to-annex-moldovas-breakaway-state . live .

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