Chinese military personnel participated in a large-scale multinational exercise held in Russia, showcasing new anti-drone and ground robotic technologies amid lessons drawn from the ongoing conflict in Ukraine. The drills, known as Centre-2026, took place in the Chelyabinsk region in central western Russia from Monday until Friday, involving over 47,000 personnel from multiple countries.
The Russian Ministry of Defence described the strategic command-and-staff exercise as an effort to apply combat experience from the Ukraine war to repel potential external threats in the Central Asian direction. Russian President Vladimir Putin observed the training at the Chebarkul Training Ground on Friday and met with foreign military attaches attending the event, according to reports by Russian state media agency Tass.
The exercise included contingents and observers from member countries of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), with troops from China, Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan participating. Chinese forces were reported by the PLA Daily, the official publication of China’s military, to have been transported via road, rail, and air to the exercise site. During the preparatory phase, Chinese troops engaged in reconnaissance, guided obstacle breaching, coordinated attack drills, and battlefield first-aid training alongside forces from allied nations.
The live-fire execution phase of the drills unfolded across three operational stages, featuring command and control exercises followed by multidimensional reconnaissance, integrated information and firepower strikes, target guidance, multi-axis assaults, and rapid pursuit and neutralization of enemy forces. The PLA Daily noted that the maneuvers helped to strengthen traditional military partnerships among the involved countries and enhanced joint operational capabilities. The Chinese military also used the opportunity to evaluate its logistical reach, deployment efficiency, and combined arms coordination in unfamiliar terrain.
State broadcaster CCTV highlighted the deployment of a range of Chinese assets, including Type 99A main battle tanks, drones, uncrewed ground vehicles, and helicopters. The Chinese forces employed swarms of drones to deliver precise targeting information to ground units, with tactical unmanned aerial vehicles, armed helicopters, and unmanned ground combat vehicles coordinating targeted strikes. It was further reported that all participating troops operated from underground positions to mitigate the threat of drone attacks.
Russian state-owned news agency Sputnik described the drills as featuring extensive use of drone swarms, ground robots, electronic warfare, precision weaponry, mobile assault units, and advanced systems such as Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones, Zarya laser systems, and the Izdeliye 347 missile system. These technologies illustrated the rapid evolution of drone and counter-drone warfare, a shift accelerated by the Ukraine conflict.
The Centre-2026 exercises represent a significant step in China-Russia military cooperation, moving beyond routine and scripted war games toward more complex joint deployments that integrate advanced technology and command structures, reflecting deepening strategic ties between the two countries.