Pretoria/Moscow: The naval exercises between Russia, China and South Africa started on Friday in the maritime area of Durban. This exercise, named ‘MOSI-2’, will be conducted along a strategically and commercially important route in the Indian Ocean region. Western countries, including the US, have expressed displeasure over South Africa’s hosting of military exercises with Russia amid the ongoing Ukraine conflict. However, South Africa has supported the exercise and explained that the exercise is part of international and defence cooperation.
In 2019, South Africa conducted a joint naval exercise with Russia and China. Besides, Russia and China have succeeded in developing good relations with South Africa, fellow countries of the BRICS group. Russian Foreign Minister Sergey Lavrov visited South Africa last month. During the visit, he supported the joint naval exercise in South Africa. Lavrov explained that Russia had provided all the information about this exercise with China and South Africa, so there was no dispute over it.
Moreover, Russia has shown its growing closeness with Africa and China by participating in this exercise, which is taking place in the background the one-year since the Russia-Ukraine conflict. Last year, Russian ships also docked in South Africa’s port amid the ongoing conflict with Ukraine. Many African countries, including South Africa, have avoided taking an overt role in the Ukraine conflict. It has come to light that African countries have rejected the pressure put by the United States and European countries on this issue. This matter becomes unsettling for the Western alliance.
Furthermore, Russia has informed that Russian destroyer Admiral Gorshkov will participate in the MOSI-2 exercise in South Africa. Russia has deployed the hypersonic missile ‘Zircon’ on this destroyer. According to the information provided by Russia, these missiles have a range of more than 1000 kilometres with a speed of nine times the speed of sound. The Zircon missile will also be tested in the exercise to be held in South Africa. This will be the first time Zircon will be tested in an international exercise outside Russia.
Apart from the ‘Admiral Gorshkov’ class frigate, an oil tanker from Russia will also be a part of the exercise. South Africa said a destroyer from South Africa, a support vessel, and two destroyers from the Chinese navy are participating in the exercise.
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