NATO member Albania, which has no fighter jets of its own, opened a repurposed Soviet-era air base to serve alliance aircraft as tensions over Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine rattle the region.
Albania's Soviet-Era 'Stalin City' Air Base Reopens For NATO Jets
The newly refurbished NATO air base opened in Kocuve, about 85 kilometers south of the Albanian capital, Tirana, on March 4. The move underlines the alliance's expanding footprint in southeastern Europe since Russia's invasion of Ukraine.
The installation, formerly known as "Stalin City" after Soviet dictator Josef Stalin, has been renovated with almost $50 million from NATO.
During the inaugural ceremony, Albanian Prime Minister Edi Rama stressed that the base was another element of security for the Western Balkans region, which faces "the ambitions of Russia."
Eurofighter Typhoons staged a flyover before landing on the new runway during the event, watched by NATO representatives and diplomats.
A pilot steps down from his Italian Eurofighter Typhoon after landing during the inauguration ceremony.
Military officers attend the inauguration.
Initially aligned with the Soviet bloc during the Cold War, Albania embraced the West after the fall of the communist regime in 1990 and has been a NATO member since 2009.
The new base is likely to irk Moscow, which has long opposed any NATO presence in new member states.