Naval Aviation of the Baltic Fleet
Identification
Best match is not a single point facility but the Baltic Fleet’s naval aviation grouping in Kaliningrad Oblast. Open-source assessment places its main aviation element, the 34th Composite Aviation Division, across Chkalovsk, Chernyakhovsk, and Donskoye; public sources reviewed do not clearly confirm one separate headquarters site for the aviation formation itself. ([foi.se](https://www.foi.se/rest-api/report/FOI-R--5119--SE))
Basing
FOI assessed in 2020 that Baltic Fleet naval aviation was distributed among Chkalovsk air base, Chernyakhovsk air base, and Donskoye air base. The same study says the major modernization of Chkalovsk was finished in 2017-2018, after which the aviation component’s revival accelerated. ([foi.se](https://www.foi.se/rest-api/report/FOI-R--5119--SE))
Force mix
As of 2020, FOI estimated 78-104 aircraft in the Baltic Fleet’s aviation grouping. Its assessed inventory included Su-24M and Su-30SM aircraft at Chernyakhovsk; Su-27/UB fighters, An-26 transports, a Tu-134, and Forpost UAVs at Chkalovsk; and Ka-27PS, Ka-27PL/M, Ka-29, Mi-8, and Mi-24 helicopters at Donskoye. ([foi.se](https://www.foi.se/rest-api/report/FOI-R--5119--SE))
Observed activity
Recent official exercise reporting indicates the formation remains active in Kaliningrad Region. On June 4, 2024, the Russian MoD said Baltic Fleet naval aviation was flying Ka-27, Mi-24, and Mi-8 command flights; on January 29, 2026, TASS reported Su-30SM2 fighters and Su-24M bombers from a Baltic Fleet mixed naval aviation regiment striking targets at a range in eastern Kaliningrad Region; and during Zapad-2025 the fleet publicly used Su-30SM, Su-24M, and Mi-8 aircraft in maritime-strike and fleet-base defense scenarios. ([interfax.ru](https://www.interfax.ru/russia/964930))
Mission
Verified open sources indicate a mission set focused on maritime strike, reconnaissance, anti-submarine warfare, search and rescue, and support to fleet and coastal forces in the southeastern Baltic. FOI assessed that Su-24M and Su-30SM aircraft support strike and reconnaissance missions in the southern Baltic Sea, while Donskoye-based ASW helicopters can patrol in and north of the Gulf of Gdańsk; recent fleet drills also rehearsed anti-ship strikes and defense of Baltic Fleet bases. ([foi.se](https://www.foi.se/rest-api/report/FOI-R--5119--SE))