Photo credite Global Times and PLA Daily 

By The South Asia Times

BEIJING -  Chinese troops have completed their participation in Russia’s Center-2026 military exercise and begun withdrawing from the country after joint training with forces from multiple nations, according to Chinese military.

The exercise concluded with a closing ceremony in Chelyabinsk on Friday. According to the PLA Daily, the drills focused on intelligence reconnaissance, command and control, fire strikes and comprehensive battlefield support.

The report, cited by China’s state-run Global Times, said Chinese forces from the People’s Liberation Army (PLA) Central Theater Command deployed to Russia’s Chebarkul training ground using road, rail and air transport.

During the field-training phase, the Chinese contingent practiced three-dimensional reconnaissance, integrated information and fire strikes, guided entry operations, attacks from multiple directions and rapid pursuit operations.

 

 

 

 

Chinese tanks and drones feature in drills

Images released through the PLA’s official China Military Bugle account showed Type 99A main battle tanks belonging to the Chinese contingent participating in the exercise.

Unmanned systems were also a prominent part of the training. China Central Television reported that drone swarms provided ground units with target information, while tactical drones, attack helicopters and unmanned ground vehicles were used together against simulated frontline targets.

Small units also conducted multiple waves of fire assaults from different directions against simulated defensive positions.

Russian Defence Minister Andrey Belousov has said preparations for Center-2026 incorporated what Moscow described as the “unique experience” gained during its “special military operation” in Ukraine, as well as lessons from modern armed conflicts.

Russian and Chinese state media said some exercise scenarios were designed around experience from contemporary combat operations.

- PLA studies lessons from participating militaries

Chinese military expert Song Zhongping told the Global Times that the exercise provided the PLA with an opportunity to study combat experience from Russia and other participating countries.

“Countries such as Pakistan and some Central Asian participants also have experience from years of counterterrorism operations,” Song said, according to the Global Times.

He said multinational training could allow participating militaries to exchange operational experience and improve their capabilities.

Song also highlighted the changing role of armored forces on modern battlefields. Recent conflicts, he said, have demonstrated the vulnerability of tanks and other armored vehicles to large numbers of drones and precision-guided weapons.

For the PLA, studying the challenges faced by armored formations in recent conflicts could help improve its ability to respond to asymmetric threats, he said.

The exercise's use of Type 99A tanks alongside drones and unmanned ground vehicles also demonstrated the increasing integration of manned and unmanned military systems.

According to Song, unmanned platforms can conduct reconnaissance and higher-risk missions ahead of crewed forces, potentially reducing risks to personnel while extending the targeting and reconnaissance capabilities of armored formations.

- Focus on overseas deployment and joint operations

The PLA Daily said the high-intensity exercise tested Chinese troops in unfamiliar terrain and a multinational operational environment.

The training assessed their ability to conduct long-range strategic deployment, cross-border logistical support and joint operational command.

Chinese personnel participated at several levels, including exercise planning, operational command and field training, according to the report.

Following the conclusion of the exercise, the Chinese contingent began leaving the Chebarkul training ground using railway and air transport.

The PLA Daily said the troops would review their experience in multinational operational planning, joint operations, long-distance cross-border deployment and coordination after returning to their units.

Center-2026 was part of Russia’s broader series of large-scale strategic military exercises and brought together forces from several countries for joint training focused on contemporary battlefield conditions.