On 29 August, the Russian naval training ship Smolny quietly docked at the Port of Cape Town in what seemed to be an 'under the radar' event, to which the Ukrainian community in South Africa expressed outrage, Cape {town} Etc reports.
During its short visit, the crew of Smolny (part of the Baltic Fleet) visited Simon's Town to meet the senior command of the South African Navy.
The unofficial visit formed part of a long-range sea voyage to conduct maritime practice for cadets of naval educational institutions of Russia's Ministry of Defence.
'During the stop, the crew will replenish water, fuel and food supplies and perform [a] technical inspection of the ship. The Baltic Fleet's sailors and cadets will meet with South African military sailors, go sight-seeing and visit the historical sights of the second most populous city in South Africa,' the fleet's press service told Russian news agency Tass .
The ship paid unofficial visits to the ports of Havana (Cuba) and La Guaira (Venezuela) before visiting Cape Town.
