“The Russian frigate (Admiral Gorshkov) has arrived in Durban, and the Chinese ship will arrive later. We are in the preparation phase and the main maneuver will take place on February 22,” a military source told AFP on Friday.
South Africa last month announced joint exercises with the Russian and Chinese navies “with the aim of exchanging operational skills and knowledge”.
More than 350 South African military personnel will participate in the exercises until February 27 off Durban, South Africa’s largest port, and Richards Bay, 180 km to the north.
South Africa has taken a neutral stance since the start of the war in Ukraine nearly a year ago, refusing to join Western calls to condemn Moscow.
European Union foreign policy chief Josep Borrell, on a visit to Pretoria last month, spoke of “troubles” about relations between South Africa and Russia.
When asked about these joint military exercises, White House spokeswoman Karen Jean-Pierre expressed “the concern of the United States.”
For her part, South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said after a meeting with her Russian counterpart Sergey Lavrov in Pretoria in January that “all countries conduct military exercises with their friends.”
Guy Martin, editor-in-chief of the specialized site “South Africa Defense Web,” told AFP that this type of military exercise “is not usually a problem and constitutes a useful experience for the South African navy, which can therefore train with foreign ships,” adding, “But from a point of view The political view of the decision is controversial.
As for John Stobart, editor of the African Defense Review, he considered that “Russia is using us as a geopolitical platform.”
A small number of protesters demonstrated in front of the Russian Consulate in Cape Town, at the invitation of the Association of Ukrainians in South Africa.
“We want Russia to know that it is not welcome here, and for South Africa to immediately stop all cooperation with it,” said Dzvinka Kachur, a 41-year-old Ukrainian who lives in South Africa.
A spokesman for the Russian consulate told AFP earlier this week that “South Africa, like any other country, conducts military exercises with its friends around the world.”
The Russian military frigate Admiral Gorshkov, equipped with Zircon hypersonic missiles, docked Monday in Cape Town on its way to Durban.
“We have been drawn into the Russian propaganda show,” said Cobus Marais of the opposition Democratic Alliance party.
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