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Good place to see fighter jets near Moscow KUBINKA Air Force Base

Dear All,

I will be in moscow between 25 June to 01 July during World Cup 2018. In addition to see football match, i will also want to take photo of fighter jets during take off and landing in Moscow KUBINKA Air Force Base.

Is there any good place or observation deck to see fighter jets take off and landing up close nearly KUBINKA Air Force Base?

Location map: https://www.google.com/maps/place/Aerodrom+Kubinka/@55.6154657,36.6351254,12.98z/data=!4m5!3m4!1s0x46ca98b14cfbb535:0x7e8fcfe5a76b118f!8m2!3d55.6110862!4d36.6458087

By the way, i would like to ask whether my action (Take photo of any military such as fight jets, helicopter..etc) is legal or not.

Many for answer my question.

Regards
Simon

Posted by
444 posts

I do not know the regulations off-hand, but I would recommend posting your questions on one of the many spotting communities - ruspotting.net; livejournal.com->ru aviation, etc.
The biggest resource (Russianplanes) has recently been taken offline, I don't know where all the regulars moved.

Posted by
19630 posts

Careful you don't get arrested for espionage, especially in Russia. Taking photos of active military equipment has tripped up more than a few tourists.

Posted by
2 posts

Dear Perilofp, Sam and Emma,

I think i will change my mind to cancel photo taking on any active military equipment/ establishments after got valubale information from all of you.
Thank you all so much.

Simon

Posted by
5835 posts

https://ru.usembassy.gov/u-s-citizen-services/russian-visas/

Restricted Areas

U.S. citizens should be aware that there are several closed cities and
regions in Russia. Travelers who attempt to enter these areas without
prior authorization are subject to arrest, fines, and/or deportation.
A traveler must list on the visa application all areas to be visited
and subsequently register with authorities upon arrival at each
destination. Travelers should check with their sponsor, hotel, or the
nearest office of the Russian FMS before traveling to unfamiliar
cities and towns.

Posted by
444 posts

There are two recent high-profile cases of people interested in military hardware movements being detained and/or extradited.

One involved a rather well-known Western spotter who was detained while photographing at one of the military airfields. Not sure about the particulars of the case - or the outcome, for that matter, - but he seems to be back online posting airplane photos, so I assume he was released.

The other one was a couple of British diplos equipped with a radio scanner and photo equipment enjoying the great outdoors near another military airfield somewhere in Dagestan. This case was a bit more clear-cut precisely for the reasons cited by Edgar above - the whole area was designated restricted, and the two gentlemen didn't have clearance or permit. Luckily for them, they had diplomatic immunity.