Russia and China Train Navy in South Africa

Russia, China and South Africa will hold joint naval drills at the South African ports of Durban and Richards Bay, Russia’s tass news agency reported on January 23.

• The joint exercises will take place from February 17 to 27.
• The South African National Defense Force said the drills will allow Russia and China to share operational skills and knowledge with South Africa and are a “means to strengthen the already flourishing relations” of the three nations.
• Russia’s new Admiral Gorshkov-class frigate, armed with Zircon hypersonic missiles, entered service this month and will take part in the exercise.

• The Zircon missile travels nine times faster than the speed of sound and has a range of 620 miles, meaning it “has no analogues,” according to Russian President Vladimir Putin.
• Russia has already deployed two ships of this class, one to the Atlantic and one to the Indian Ocean.

Anniversary: South Africa is being criticized for holding military drills with Russia during the war on Ukraine. Some say cooperation is not appropriate considering Russia’s brutal actions in Ukraine, especially because the drills will take place over the anniversary of the invasion.

• South African Foreign Minister Naledi Pandor said that it was an “abuse of international practice” to condemn South Africa for “a natural set of exercises that occur between countries.”

Russian ‘prince’: These exercises are a way for Russia to defy the criticisms it has faced for its war on Ukraine. Russia keeps building its military and, as Bible prophecy forecasts, a relationship with China as its main partner. Ezekiel 38:2 says a Russian leader called the “prince of Rosh” (New King James Version) will work closely with “the land of Magog,” which refers partly to modern China. Together Russia and China will head a world-dominating alliance of Eastern countries making up an army of 200 million men (Revelation 9:16; 16:12). Although South Africa is not mentioned as being a part of this alliance, the military exercises foreshadow this partnership between Russia and China.

Learn more: Read Russia and China in Prophecy.