A huge 3,500-metre-long amphitheater opens into a sparsely sparse pine and spruce forest. And on this, the deployed planes stand.
This is the base of Olenya in the center of the Kola Peninsula in northwestern Russia.
From the main railway line in Murmansk and south there is a side track. There, railway cars are loaded with missiles and bombs.
A distance of 150 kilometers from the Norwegian border is now one of the most important bases for the Russian war against Ukraine.
Norwegian radar stations have a good enough range to see Russian bombers taking off from the Olenya base on the Kola Peninsula.
Thus, they can alert Ukraine when Russian Tupolev TU-95 bombers launch their missiles at a safe distance from Ukraine.
Ukraine then has three hours to prepare its missile defences. They often include air defense systems developed by NASAM in Norway.
Planes take off – alarm goes off
From Vadso and Vardo, information is transmitted to Ukraine, allowing the Ukrainians to prepare when the bombers take off from the Olenya base.
When the missiles reach Ukraine, the Norwegian-developed NASAMS air defense systems often try to shoot them down, which NRK was able to document in Kiev in July 2023.
Just after midnight on February 15 of this year, someone came Urgent message From the Ukrainian Air Force on Telegram.
Russian strategic bombers of this type Tu-95 It took off from Olinga base. The Ukrainians had to prepare for new air strikes within a few hours.
More aircraft: Satellite images taken in recent months show that the number of bombers at the Olinya base has increased significantly.
Photo: Monitor/Telegram
Just a few days ago, the Ukrainian version of the online newspaper was published Red blood cells Published new satellite images of Olinga.
They showed great activity, and what they interpreted as preparations for a new attack with strategic bombers.
The same thing happened on April 11. Then there was another large-scale attack on Ukraine. At least seven bombers from the Olinga base participated.
But why attack Ukraine from a base as far away as possible in the European part of Russia?
Nearby: Olenja is a three-hour drive from Storskog border station.
He moves the bombers away
The reason is clear: several successful Ukrainian attacks on the main base of the Russian Strategic Air Defense Forces near the city of Engels on the Volga River.
After the attacks, the Russians decided to transfer a large part of the aircraft to the Kola base, according to what was reported by the Russian Kyodo News Agency. Observer Barents.
What happened during the night and early morning of February 15 was quite typical of how massive Russian attacks on Ukraine are now occurring.
00.49
It is recorded that several TU-95 aircraft took off from Olenya Air Base (Murmansk region, Russia).
Estimated arrival at 04.00. Follow our messages, and do not ignore the sirens.
The message was sent from the Ukrainian Air Force that the planes took off at 00:49.
It was assumed that they would be ready to launch their cruise missiles at 04:00.
The planes flew from the base in Kola in the southeast of the country before sending their deadly payload over Ukraine at a safe distance, before returning to the Kola Peninsula.
Meanwhile, the Russian Defense Forces have sent drones and ballistic missiles against what President Putin once described as his “Ukrainian brothers.”
Norwegian Defense: NASAMS systems developed by Norway are important when Ukraine wants to defend itself against Russian attacks.
It became known after Castro's visit
Olenya Airport south of Murmansk was completed in 1957.
It became “world famous” when Cuban leader Fidel Castro landed here during his visit to the Soviet Union in 1963. That was just one year after the dramatic tragedy. Cuban Missile Crisis.
After the dissolution of the Soviet Union in 1991, there followed several decades in which activity at the base declined sharply.
HISTORICAL: Cuban leader Fidel Castro received a hero's welcome when he landed at Olena Airport on April 27, 1963.
Photo: State District Archive of Murmansk
Olenja was primarily used to store TU-22M3 grenade launchers. Most of them are unusable, and are still scattered throughout the region.
Many were hoping at the time Cold War era With fear and doubt it is over.
Now there had to be cooperation. There is even speculation about whether Russia could become a member of NATO.
Close on
It didn't work out that way. After Russia intervened militarily in the former Soviet Republic of Georgia in 2008, and did the same in Ukraine in 2014, relations with the West and NATO deteriorated rapidly.
After Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine on February 24, 2022, Europe is once again on the brink of a major conflict.
Takeover: Pro-Russian soldiers took control of the eastern Ukrainian city of Kramatorsk in April 2014. This contributed to the deterioration of relations between Russia and NATO.
Photograph: Anatoly Stepanov/AFP
The fact that Russia is now actively using the Kola and Olenya bases in the war against Ukraine means that Norway and Finland, the new NATO state, are moving closer to conflict.
Finnish newspaper Helsingin Sanomat Published new satellite images from March 17 Monitoring tools Which indicates that the number of aircraft at the Olinga base has now increased to 60.
The base is being used because the Russian defense believes it would not be possible for Ukraine to attack targets so far away.
Increased range: Ukraine is able to attack targets at much greater distances than when the war first began.
Photo: Lipkus/AP
Knows about Norwegian intelligence stations
As the crow flies, the distance from the Ukrainian border to Olenya Airport is 1,750 kilometres.
But after Ukraine showed it They can attack targets As far away as Tatarstan, it may only be a matter of time before Olenya Airport comes within reach as well.
In this case, the actual war would be moved north of Calot and very close to the borders of Norway and Finland.
There is no doubt that Russia is fully aware of the Norwegian intelligence stations in southern Varanger.
Vardo: Large radars at Vardo closely monitor Russian military activity in Kola.
Photo: Knut Sverre Hoorn/NRK
published
11.04.2024 at 22.11
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