Russia, China & South Africa to hold joint naval exercise near Durban.

According to information published by Tass on January 4, 2023, South Africa, Russia and China will hold a ten-day naval exercise this February in the Indian Ocean off South Africa’s east coast.
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Russian Slava class cruiser Marshal Ustinov. (Picture source: Tass)

The drills will take place off South Africa’s coastal province KwaZulu-Natal from 17 to 24 February, the publication said. The exercise carries the same name Mosi (Smoke) as the first involving the three countries, which was held in South African territorial waters off the Cape of Good Hope in the Atlantic, near Cape Town, in November 2019.

This year, the drills are expected to cover the area from Durban to Richard’s Bay, which are 87 nautical miles (or 160 kilometers) apart. The South African Department of Defense announced that according to preliminary plans, the exercise will see two Russian warships. In particular, the drills include gunnery, force protection, and air defense practice.

In 2019, during the first edition of the exercise Mosi, the Russian side was represented by the Slava-class cruiser Marshal Ustinov and the tanker Vyazma.

The Chinese side by the Type 054A frigate Weifang and the South African side by thve Valour-class frigate SAS Amatola and the fleet replenishment ship SAS Drakensberg.