China joins Russia-led drills featuring drone and robot warfare
Chinese forces have taken part in Russia’s Centre-2026 exercise alongside troops from several countries, in manoeuvres focused on command integration, live fire and unmanned systems. Russian officials said the drills incorporated lessons from the Ukraine war, while Chinese reports highlighted the PLA’s logistical reach and coordination with drones, helicopters and ground robots.
Chinese troops have participated in Russia’s Centre-2026 strategic exercise, a multinational operation that featured live-fire manoeuvres, drone warfare and unmanned ground vehicles, according to Chinese and Russian state media. More than 47,000 military personnel took part in the drills in Russia’s Chelyabinsk region from Monday to Saturday. Russia’s Ministry of Defence said the exercise was designed to apply combat lessons from the Ukraine war while practising how to repel external aggression in Central Asia.
The People’s Liberation Army trained alongside forces from Russia, Belarus, Pakistan, Kazakhstan, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia and Tajikistan, the PLA Daily reported. China’s contingent travelled by road, rail and air and conducted reconnaissance, obstacle-breaching, coordinated attacks and battlefield first-aid exercises during the preparatory phase. The exercise’s execution phase included command-and-control training and live-fire operations.
The reported scenarios involved multidimensional reconnaissance, integrated information and firepower strikes, target guidance, attacks from several directions and rapid pursuit of opposing forces. Chinese state broadcaster CCTV said Type 99A tanks operated with drones, armed helicopters and uncrewed ground vehicles. Drone swarms supplied target information to ground units, while manned and unmanned systems coordinated strikes.
The PLA Daily said the exercise also tested China’s ability to deploy forces, sustain logistics and coordinate combined-arms operations in unfamiliar terrain. Russian state news agency Sputnik said the drills included mass drone use, counter-drone measures, electronic warfare, precision weapons and newer systems. The report also said participating troops were stationed underground to reduce their exposure to drone attacks.
Russian President Vladimir Putin observed the exercise at the Chebarkul Training Ground on Friday, Tass reported. The drills followed joint Chinese-Russian air and naval activities earlier in the summer. The two governments say they do not have a formal military alliance, but the exercise and those patrols demonstrate increasingly regular military coordination.
The PLA, which has not conducted major combat operations in decades, also gained an opportunity to train alongside Russian forces with battlefield experience from the Ukraine war, particularly in drone operations.
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