Thousands of military personnel from Azerbaijan, Turkey, and Uzbekistan have gathered in the Hojavend district of Azerbaijan’s Karabakh region to participate in a joint military exercise titled 'Power of Unity, 2026.' This event marks the first time these three nations have conducted such drills together in this specific territory. The exercises are designed to test coordination and operational readiness among the participating countries' armed forces.

In addition to the primary participants, several other nations are involved in the event as observers. Notably, Iran is among the countries attending in an observer capacity, signaling regional interest in the maneuvers. While the stated goal of the exercise is to strengthen military ties and interoperability, the location of the drills—the Karabakh region—carries significant geopolitical weight given the area's recent history of conflict and territorial disputes. The exercises represent a deepening of the strategic partnership between Baku, Ankara, and Tashkent, potentially shifting the balance of military influence in the South Caucasus. As of now, the participating governments have framed the event as a routine demonstration of regional stability and cooperation, though the scale of the deployment has drawn attention from international observers monitoring regional power dynamics.