Belarusian Airborne Troops Depart for China to Participate in Joint Swift Eagle – 2026 Exercise

Service personnel from the Special Operations Forces of the Armed Forces of Belarus have departed for China to participate in the joint Belarusian-Chinese tactical exercise Swift Eagle – 2026.

The exercise will take place at a training range of the Airborne Troops of the People’s Liberation Army of China in Hubei Province and will continue until 24 August.

The exercise is focused on a joint tactical operation in an urban environment. During the exercise, service personnel will conduct parachute jumps, operate unmanned aerial vehicles (UAVs) and counter drones, practise the joint assembly of UAVs, conduct various types of live-fire training, and employ urban and industrial mountaineering techniques.

The exercise will be conducted in several stages:

— arrival of the contingents, obtaining of weapons and weapons zeroing;

— individual training and coordination of squads and groups;

— coordination of the combined unit;

— execution of tasks by joint combined groups formed from Belarusian and Chinese service personnel.

The route to China will run via Novosibirsk and Vladivostok, with intermediate stops for refuelling. The estimated travel time is 23–24 hours.