It traces its origins to 19 July 1942, when the 11th Independent Reconnaissance Aviation Regiment was formed at Goroshino airfield, 24 km west of Torzhok in the Kalinin Oblast.
The regiment was equipped with the Pe-2 reconnaissance fighter/bomber and joined 3rd Air Army, fighting in the Vitebsk-Polotsk operation and the defence of Vitebsk, for which it received the honour title 'Vitebsk' on 11 July 1944.
In 1952, the regiment converted to the Ilyushin Il-28 'Beagle', based at Jekabpils and Krustpils in the Latvian SSR.
It moved to Neu-Welzow in the German Democratic Republic in July 1954, joining 16th Air Army.
The regiment was active until the mid-2000s, when it was swept up in the large-scale reorganisation of the Russian Air Force, and became an Aviation Base.