Chinese troops line up for Russia’s Tsentr-2026 exercise as military ties tighten
Chinese troops have taken part in a mass multinational exercise in Russia featuring new anti-drone and ground robot systems – drills that Russian state media said “applied lessons” from the Ukraine war. The troops were among more than 47,000 military personnel involved in the Tsentr-2026 – or Centre-2026 – drills in the central western Chelyabinsk region from Monday until Saturday. The Russian…
Chinese troops participated in a large-scale multinational military exercise in Russia, focusing on anti-drone and ground robot systems. The drills, called Tsentr-2026 or Centre-2026, occurred in the Chelyabinsk region from Monday to Saturday and involved over 47,000 military personnel. Russian President Vladimir Putin witnessed the drills at the Chebarkul Training Ground on Friday and met with foreign military attaches.
The exercise included troops from SCO member countries, such as Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, and Tajikistan. PLA troops joined the exercise through road, rail, and air transport, taking part in reconnaissance, guidance, coordinated obstacle breaching, attacks, and battlefield first aid exercises. The PLA also deployed advanced systems, like drones, uncrewed ground vehicles, and helicopters, during the exercise, which helped improve joint action capabilities and test logistical reach and combined arms coordination.
The drills showcase the growing integration of crewed and unmanned systems in the PLA. China-Russia military cooperation has intensified in recent years, with regular air and naval patrols reflecting a shift towards deeper strategic coordination.
Written by urgent.news from South China Morning Post's reporting — not their text. Machine-written — may contain errors; check the original before relying on it.
