Russia's Shturm Robotic Tanks Debut at Tsentr-2026, Backing Assault Troops

Russia demonstrated Shturm robotic tanks supporting assault troops at the Chebarkul phase of Tsentr-2026, with the Ministry of Defense presenting their firing activity on October 2. Developed by Uralvagonzavod, the vehicles use T-72B3M hulls and remotely controlled fighting compartments, with operators working from a nearby control vehicle. Two configurations were shown: a tank-type turret and a combat module derived from the BMPT tank-support vehicle. Both retain positions for manual operation during movement or recovery, while the exercise moved the project beyond factory demonstrations into a larger military training event involving assault units and other robotic systems.