MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. A coalition military grouping has completed the main stage of the strategic command and staff exercises (SCSE) Center-2026 by liberating a populated area and completely defeating the retreating enemy, the Russian Defense Ministry said.

"The main stage of the Center-2026 joint strategic exercise was concluded with the complete defeat of a retreating enemy by a coalition grouping of troops consisting of units of the armed forces of the Republic of Belarus, the People’s Republic of China, the Kyrgyz Republic, the Republic of Mongolia, the Islamic Republic of Pakistan, the Russian Federation, and the Republic of Tajikistan, as well as military contingents of the Collective Rapid Reaction Forces of the Collective Security Treaty Organization (CRRF CSTO)," it said in a statement.

The Defense Ministry added that units of the People's Liberation Army of China (PLA) at the Chebarkul training ground using combat vehicles and tanks and with artillery support completed the defeat of the enemy, ensuring flank cover and the deployment of assault groups of Russian motorized rifle and tank units into battle.

"Units of the mobile combined-arms reserve together with the assault groups of motorized rifle and tank units simultaneously carried out an assault and defeat of the enemy’s stronghold in a populated area from several directions," it said.

The ministry added that the tactical group of the armed forces of the Kyrgyz Republic, part of the CSTO CRRF, together with groups of the combined-arms mobile reserve, units of the Islamic Republic of Pakistan and the Kyrgyz Republic, blocked and destroyed enemy’s reserves.

The Defense Ministry also said that the commander of the coalition troop grouping decided to deliver a massive strike against the enemy using operational-tactical aviation, artillery, heavy flamethrower systems and a strike group of unmanned aerial vehicles.

The total number of troops at the Chebarkul training ground exceeds 6,000 military personnel (4,600 from Russia, 1,479 foreign troops, of which 634 are military contingents of the CSTO collective rapid reaction forces).