Hamkorlik-2026: Russian Troops Arrive in Uzbekistan for Joint Exercise at Termez
Russian military units have arrived in Uzbekistan for the Hamkorlik-2026 joint exercise after a road march of more than 300 kilometres through the mountains of Tajikistan and Uzbekistan, Russia’s Defence Ministry said on its official Telegram channel on October 19, 2026. The troops reached the Termez training ground in southern Uzbekistan, where the active phase of the drills is scheduled to run from October 20 to 27.
- Exercise: Hamkorlik-2026, a joint Russian-Uzbek drill (“hamkorlik” means “cooperation” in Uzbek)
- Location: Termez training ground, Surkhandarya region, southern Uzbekistan
- Russian units completed a march of more than 300 km through Tajikistan and Uzbekistan
- Active phase: October 20-27, 2026
- Source: Russian Defence Ministry Telegram channel, October 19, 2026
Russian units prepare equipment at Termez
According to the ministry, the Russian contingent has begun servicing and preparing its vehicles and equipment for the active phase of the exercise. The statement did not give the number of personnel or list the weapons systems taking part, and Uzbekistan’s Defence Ministry had not published separate details at the time of writing.
The route through mountainous Tajik territory suggests the troops came from Russian forces stationed in Tajikistan, where Moscow maintains its largest military facility abroad, the 201st Military Base.
What the 2025 edition involved
Hamkorlik is held regularly at Termez. The previous iteration, Hamkorlik-2025, took place from July 15 to 21, 2025, and involved Russia’s 201st Military Base alongside Uzbek units, according to regional outlet Fergana. That exercise rehearsed detecting and eliminating small illegal armed groups crossing the state border, with live firing.
Russian participation in 2025 included mountain and assault units, mobile electronic warfare teams, reconnaissance and FPV drone crews and Mi-24 attack helicopters, with BTR-82A armoured personnel carriers and Ural and KamAZ trucks used for the convoy.
Why Termez matters
Termez sits on the Amu Darya river on Uzbekistan’s border with Afghanistan, making it a natural setting for border-security scenarios. Russia and Central Asian states have focused joint training on the risk of militant infiltration from Afghanistan since the Taliban returned to power in 2021.
Uzbekistan is not a member of the Russia-led Collective Security Treaty Organization and pursues a multi-vector defence policy, combining bilateral drills with Russia with cooperation with other partners. Further details on the Hamkorlik-2026 scenario are expected once the active phase begins on October 20.
Featured image: Ministry of Defence of the Russian Federation / CC BY 4.0, via Wikimedia Commons
