Russia rehearses offensive and security zone operation during Centre-2026 military drills

Key Points:

• Russian forces conducted the Centre-2026 military exercises in Chelyabinsk Oblast from 28 September to 3 October, involving 47,000 personnel, 2,000 military vehicles, 90 aircraft, and 77 vessels, alongside troops from Belarus, China, Kyrgyzstan, Mongolia, Pakistan, and Tajikistan.
• The exercises focused on repelling aggression on the Central Asian front and securing the Caspian region, with troops practicing both defensive operations and creating a security zone in neighboring territories.
• Deputy Defence Minister Yunus-bek Yevkurov reported that coalition forces restored positions and began offensive operations to liberate captured territory and establish security zones as part of the scenario.
• The Kremlin clarified that units involved were not engaged in the Ukraine conflict, but all tasks incorporated lessons learned from the war in Ukraine, with Kazakhstan being the likely simulated aggressor due to its geographical relevance.
• The Centre-2026 drills follow previous large-scale exercises like Centre-2019 and Centre-2015, which also involved scenarios of countering simulated state aggression and terrorism within Russia's borders.