Putin observes Centre-2026 drills with Chinese and Pakistani troops in the Urals

Russian President Vladimir Putin visited a firing range in the Chelyabinsk region on Friday to observe the final stage of the Centre-2026 military exercises in the Ural Mountains, drills he said involved 47,000 troops training to repel an attack at 11 firing ranges and in the Caspian Sea.

The exercises, which began on Monday and run through Saturday, were combined with the Interaction-2026 drills of the Collective Security Treaty Organisation. About 6,000 troops from Russia and other countries took part in the final phase at the Chebarkulsky training ground, Mr Putin said, with delegations from 55 nations attending as observers.

The drills included contingents from Belarus, Kyrgyzstan and Tajikistan, as well as troops from China, Mongolia and Pakistan, according to Russian news reports.

During his visit, Mr Putin inspected an array of weapons, including new jet-powered Geran drones used by the Russian military against Ukraine.

His visit came a day after Russia warned NATO it would not hesitate to use nuclear weapons to defend Kaliningrad should any member of the alliance try to cut off its western exclave from the rest of the country.

Sources

• Associated Press via Arab News: “Putin observes military drills in the Urals involving troops from China and other nations” (02 Oct 2026 23:22)
• ANews: “Putin observes military drills in Russia’s Urals region” (02 Oct 2026)