Moscow, Russia – Lieutenant General Lawrence Mbatha, the commander of South Africa’s ground forces, is currently in Moscow for discussions aimed at improving combat readiness, as reported by Russian news agencies citing the country’s Defense Ministry.
Leading a delegation, Lt. Gen. Mbatha met with his Russian counterpart, Colonel General Oleg Salyukov, to address issues pertaining to military cooperation and joint projects focused on enhancing the combat readiness of both nations’ armed forces, stated Russia’s Defense Ministry.
During their visit, the South African delegation is expected to tour Russian ground forces’ training sites and defense industry enterprises, providing an opportunity for further engagement.
This unanticipated visit follows recent allegations by the United States accusing South Africa of clandestinely supplying arms to Russia. Denying the allegations, South Africa promptly announced an independent inquiry into the matter last Thursday.
In a phone conversation on Friday, South African President Cyril Ramaphosa and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed to strengthen mutually beneficial ties across various domains.
Furthermore, President Ramaphosa reiterated Pretoria’s stance of neutrality concerning the Russian-Ukrainian conflict in a statement released earlier today.
Despite the diplomatic gestures, South African media sources, citing government insiders, have suggested that if President Putin attends the BRICS summit in August, Pretoria may be compelled to execute an arrest based on an International Criminal Court warrant.
