The main objective of the Center-2026 and Interaction-2026 military exercises is to practice repelling external aggression, Russian President Vladimir Putin said.

Axar.az reports, citing Russian media, that military contingents from Belarus, China, Kyrgyzstan and Pakistan are participating in the drills, while Kazakhstan and Congo have sent operational groups.

More than 47,000 servicemen, around 2,000 weapons and military vehicles, 90 aircraft and 77 ships and vessels are involved in Center-2026.

The exercises include scenarios for repelling aggression in the Central Asian direction. Tu-22M3 long-range bombers carried out a mass strike on simulated critical targets and attacked a simulated naval formation in the Caspian Sea.

Russia’s Zarya laser system also destroyed training targets at distances of up to six kilometres.