
Russian Ka-52 helicopters struck an exposed enemy UAV control point using light multi-purpose guided missiles during the Center-2026 strategic command and staff exercises at Chebarkul training ground, with Su-57 aircraft providing airborne cover and Vitebsk defense systems protecting against portable air-defense missile systems, while two jamming helicopters conducted electronic suppression of enemy ADMS.
AI-generated summary
The Center-2026 strategic command and staff exercises are periodic military drills conducted by the Russian Armed Forces to test coordination and readiness of various units.
MOSCOW, October 2. /TASS/. Ka-52 helicopters have struck an exposed enemy UAV control point during the strategic command and staff exercises (SCSE) Center-2026, the Russian Defense Ministry said.
According to it, cover was provided by Su-57 multifunctional aircraft.
"The crews of Ka-52 helicopters launched a strike with light multi-purpose guided missiles against an enemy UAV control point exposed by reconnaissance means at the Chebarkul training ground as part of the Center-2026 SCSE," the ministry said in a statement. "The airborne cover for the aviation strike group was provided by multifunctional Su-57 aircraft."
The helicopters were protected from attacks by portable air-defense missile systems (ADMS) by the onboard Vitebsk defense system.
In addition, to prevent an air strike, two jamming helicopters carried out electronic suppression of the enemy’s ADMS control and guidance systems.

The governor of the Tula region, Dmitry Milyaev, said that the air defense forces of the Russian Ministry of Defense shot down nine Ukrainian drones over the region. There were no casualties or damage, but the threat of drone attacks remains.

Ukraine is extremely vulnerable without control over its airspace, which could be used by the enemy in hostilities, said Nikolai Beleskov, a military analyst at the Ukrainian state-run National Institute for Strategic Studies. Earlier, Russian President Vladimir Putin said that Moscow was forced to respond to aggression.

Over the course of 12 hours on October 2, Russian air defense forces shot down 209 aircraft-style drones launched by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in a massive attack on Russian territory, the Defense Ministry said.

During the strategic exercise "Center-2026", the missile ship "Tatarstan" and the coastal missile system "Bal" of the Caspian Flotilla destroyed ships of the mock enemy, using their own detection means and coastal reconnaissance data. The exercise worked out the scenario of capturing the coast and landing an amphibious operation against a mock enemy.

The Slovak company ZTS Special demonstrated a new remote-controlled mortar SAM120 120 mm caliber at the ADEX 2026 exhibition in Baku. The module, developed in 2026, is installed on a Tatra truck chassis and can be placed on a railway platform or permanently. The crew consists of a driver and an operator, the rate of fire reaches 20 rounds per minute, the simultaneous fire attack mode is supported, the control system receives target data from ground observers, drones or satellites.

Russian President Vladimir Putin was shown the updated Geran-4 and Geran-5 drones with jet engines capable of reaching speeds of up to 350 km/h at the Chebarkulsky training ground in the Chelyabinsk region.