Russia has staged a massive military exercise involving more than 47,000 troops, over 600 drones and personnel from multiple countries. Russian President Vladimir Putin oversaw the final stage of the Centre-2026 and Interaction-2026 strategic command-staff exercises at the Chebarkul training ground. Russian Defence Minister Andrei Belousov said military contingents from seven countries were deployed, while representatives from nearly 60 states took part as participants or observers. The drills featured around 700 pieces of equipment, more than 600 unmanned aerial vehicles and over 60 robotic systems. Putin said the exercise was focused on strengthening the ability of military commanders to respond to external aggression and highlighted the importance of cooperation between participating states.