“Admiral Gorshkov” off Durban: Russian warship exercises with the South African Navy

“Admiral Gorshkov” before Durban
Russian warship exercises with South African Navy

Around the anniversary of the attack on Ukraine, Russia, China and South Africa launch a joint military exercise. Also present: the Russian frigate “Admiral Gorschkow”. South Africa’s opposition has expressed concern that the country’s neutrality towards the war is turning into support.

A Russian warship armed with new-generation hypersonic cruise missiles will take part in joint exercises with the naval forces of China and South Africa in February. “The ‘Admiral Gorshkov’ will proceed to the logistical support point in Syria’s Tartus and then take part in joint naval exercises with the Chinese and South African navies,” reports Russia’s state news agency TASS, citing an unidentified defense source.

According to Russian sources, the “Admiral Gorshkov” is armed with Zircon cruise missiles that fly at nine times the speed of sound and have a range of more than 1,000 kilometers. The South African armed forces announced on Thursday that military exercises with Russia and China will take place near the port city of Durban and Richards Bay from February 17 to 27. The military exercise is the second since 2019 in which the three countries are involved.

The naval exercises coincide with the one-year anniversary of the start of Russia’s war of aggression in Ukraine, Feb. 24. They are intended to “strengthen the already flourishing relationship between South Africa, Russia and China,” the army said. The drills are called “Operation Mosi,” which means “smoke” in the local Tswana language.

South Africa’s opposition: Government sides with Moscow

South Africa’s opposition party, the Democratic Alliance (DA), has sharply criticized the planned exercises. The ruling African National Congress (ANC) is thus de facto siding with Moscow, said DA Shadow Defense Minister Kobus Marais. South Africa, which belongs to the Brics group of emerging economies along with Russia, China, India and Brazil, has so far taken a neutral stance on the war in Ukraine. South Africa abstained in a United Nations vote condemning the war last year.

Russia’s Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov is expected to hold bilateral talks in South Africa’s capital, Pretoria, later today. It is Lavrov’s first visit to the country at the southern tip of Africa since Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.

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