 A number of surface-to-air missile sites were operational near Olenya during the Cold War.During the 1960s and 1970s Olenya was used as a refueling stop on the Moscow to Havana Tupolev Tu-114 route.As of 2006, Google Earth imagery showed nearly 40 Tupolev Tu-22M bombers on the airfield, but by 2018 only four of the aircraft appeared serviceable with another 27 aircraft awaiting disposal.