Russia to test missile in drills with China and South Africa

JOHANNESBURG (AP) — Russia, China and South Africa will begin naval exercises Friday off South Africa’s Indian Ocean coast to demonstrate the three countries’ close ties amid Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and China’s strained relationship with the West.

Dubbed Mosi II, the 10-day exercises coincide with the first anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine on February 24.

A Russian frigate, the Admiral Gorshkov, arrived in Cape Town earlier this week bearing the letters Z and V on its sides, letters denoting Russian weapons on the front lines in Ukraine and used as a patriotic symbol in Russia.

A small yacht flying the Ukrainian flag sailed past the Russian frigate in Cape Town harbor in protest. South African protesters opposed to the drills are expected to demonstrate outside the Russian consulate in Cape Town on Friday.

The arrival of the Admiral Gorshkov has sparked considerable controversy because it is armed with the latest Zircon hypersonic missiles, a weapon that Russia says can penetrate any anti-missile defense to hit targets at sea and on land.

According to the Russian state news agency Tass, the warship is to test a Zircon missile during the joint naval exercises. The test will be the missile’s first launch in an international exercise.

Besides the Admiral Gorshkov, other ships taking part in the sea exercises will include a Russian oil tanker for refueling, a South African frigate and three Chinese ships – a destroyer, a frigate and an auxiliary ship, according to a statement by the South African military.

The joint naval exercises also come as China’s relations with Washington have been strained after its balloon sailed over the US and was eventually shot down by the US

The maritime exercises will be conducted from Durban and Richards Bay, ports in South Africa’s KwaZulu-Natal province.

Media coverage of the exercises was restricted.

South Africa has been criticized for its participation in the domestic exercises. The opposition Democratic Alliance said it was showing South Africa is not neutral in Russia’s war in Ukraine.

The South African National Defense Force has simply referred to the naval exercises with China and Russia as a “multinational maritime exercise”. The naval exercises will “strengthen the already thriving ties between South Africa, Russia and China” with a view to sharing “operational skills and knowledge,” the military said in a statement.

At least 350 personnel from the South African Navy and other military branches are expected to take part in the exercise, the government said.

Previously, the three countries held the Mosi I naval exercises in Cape Town in 2019.

South Africa is among many African countries that have maintained friendly relations with Moscow and have abstained from voting on a United Nations resolution condemning Russia’s war in Ukraine.

Russia and the United States have requested South Africa’s support since the beginning of the war in Ukraine, indicating Pretoria’s influence as a strategic partner on the continent. The two superpowers have been vying for influence in Africa, sending senior officials on diplomatic missions to the continent in recent months.

Senior US officials, including Secretary of State Antony Blinken and Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen recently visited South Africa to deepen diplomatic, political and economic ties. South African President Cyril Ramaphosa visited the White House in September 2022.

During a visit to South Africa last month, Russian Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov criticized Western actions in support of Ukraine and stressed Russia’s strong ties with South Africa and other nations on the continent.