The Autonomous Republic of Crimea has been an important part of Ukraine’s defence structure since the break up of the Soviet Union. From the May 2014 issue of AirForces Monthly, Ivan Voukadinov relates the history of Ukrainian military aviation in the region following the demise of the Warsaw Pact up until the Revolution of Dignity
Crimea for centuries been strategically important to Russia. Russia’s Black Sea Fleet (BSF) can trace its origins back to the city of Sevastopol in 1783, long before the dawn of military aviation, and has long been a great influence in the region. Nowadays, aviation is an important part of the naval forces of the two countries which continue to claim Crimea – Ukraine and Russia. In Soviet times, the BSF was one of four main fleets.
