Putin at Centre-2026 Exercises and drone displays

Oct 2

Kulko reports Putin observing the October 2 Chebarkul phase of Centre-2026, with more than 47,000 personnel at eleven ranges and in the Caspian and about 6,000 at Chebarkul. Putin and Belousov describe the goals, equipment and lessons from the war in Ukraine. Interviews describe unmanned tanks, robotic fire systems, AI-supported tasks and training based on tunnel operations; Yevkurov says 800 experienced personnel and around 300 vehicles will return to their wartime grouping after the practical exercises. The report shows Putin's separate meeting with military attachés, where he says professional exchanges foster trust and invites continued cooperation. At the weapons display BARS-17's speaker describes reconnaissance and ambush anti-drone systems used near Siversk, another speaker discusses a reconnaissance copter, and a briefing describes Geran-4 and Geran-5 speeds, warheads and ranges. Kulko claims large-scale production and equipment heading to the front. Technical performance, interception assertions and combat claims are attributed to the speakers and reporter, without independent testing.

At the October 2 Chebarkul display, Putin receives a briefing on jet-powered Geran drones. Kulko claims Geran-4 speeds up to 500 kilometres per hour and difficulty of interception. An unidentified briefer describes a fifty-kilogram warhead and 750–800-kilometre range, then Geran-5 with a ninety-kilogram warhead, 450-kilometre-per-hour speed and up-to-900-kilometre range. Kulko reports mass production. These are source claims, not independently tested performance or proof that interception is impossible.