SCO countries invited to Center 2026 strategic exercise — Russian defense minister

Lead

Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov has invited member states of the Shanghai Cooperation Organization (SCO) to take part in the Center 2026 strategic command-and-staff exercise, according to remarks reported by Russia's state news agency TASS. The invitation was delivered at a meeting of SCO defense ministers in Bishkek, Kyrgyzstan, where regional security and further military cooperation among member states were also discussed.

Coverage comparison

The announcement was reported by TASS, which cited Belousov speaking at the SCO gathering. The same outlet also provided details about the minister's participation in the broader meeting, including a planned inspection of Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan and expectations of bilateral talks on the sidelines. TASS's coverage is the only source currently available; no independent or Western news agency has yet reported on the invitation or the meeting's proceedings. As such, all details in this article are drawn from TASS's accounts.

Key claims

• Russian Defense Minister Andrey Belousov said "We have invited all SCO countries to this event. We are counting on the participation of military contingents and observers," as quoted by TASS. The exercise is scheduled for September 28 to October 3.
• According to TASS, Belousov noted that preparations for the maneuvers incorporate the "unique experience gained during the special military operation," a reference to Russia's campaign in Ukraine, and take into account the specifics of modern armed conflict.
• The SCO defense ministers' meeting in Bishkek is expected to include delegations from Belarus, India, Iran, Kazakhstan, China, Kyrgyzstan, Pakistan, Russia, Tajikistan, and Uzbekistan, TASS reported, citing the Russian Defense Ministry.
• The meeting agenda includes "pressing issues of international and regional security" and further cooperation among defense ministries within the SCO format, according to the Russian Defense Ministry as reported by TASS.
• TASS also reported that Belousov planned a series of bilateral meetings with heads of military departments of SCO member states and would visit Russian military facilities in Kyrgyzstan.

Perspectives

The announcement comes amid ongoing war in Ukraine and heightened tensions between Russia and the West. The SCO, a multilateral bloc led by Russia and China, has avoided explicit condemnation of Moscow's invasion, instead focusing on security and economic cooperation among its members. The invitation to the Center 2026 exercise may be seen as a demonstration of continued military ties with Central Asian and Asian partners, even as Russia faces international isolation. At the same time, the exercise's timing and its explicit goal of incorporating battlefield lessons from Ukraine will likely draw scrutiny from Western observers, though no external analysis was available in this digest.

TASS, as Russia's state news agency, frames the events in accordance with official government messaging, emphasizing the routine nature of SCO cooperation and the importance of the exercise for regional security. No alternative interpretations or criticisms of the exercise or the meeting were included in the source material.

This article was compiled from TASS reports. All claims are attributed to TASS and the Russian Defense Ministry, as no independent verification was available at the time of writing.