The South African military announced in a statement today that South Africa will hold joint maneuvers with the Russian and Chinese navies in a multilateral maritime exercise between 17 and 27 February.
The exercises will take place off the coast of the major southern African port of Durban and in Richards Bay. The exercises will further strengthen relations between South Africa, Russia, and China, as South Africa has consistently refused to condemn Russia for its invasion of Ukraine.
The statement recalled that this is the second exercise of its kind after the first held in Cape Town in 2019, adding that these exercises bring together more than 350 South African militaries with their Russian and Chinese counterparts in order to exchange skills and experiences.
It should be noted that South Africa’s position has always been neutral with regard to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.