A group of Ukrainian expatriates living in South Africa staged a protest this week at Simon’s Town, near the country’s main naval base, to oppose the participation of the Russian navy in a multinational naval exercise being held in South African waters.

The protesters gathered on Friday ahead of the start of the week-long naval manoeuvres, known as “Will for Peace 2026,” which run from January 9 to 16 and involve warships from Russia, China, Iran, and other BRICS-Plus partner states, according to Africanews.

Demonstrators criticised the inclusion of Russia on the grounds that Moscow is waging a long-running war against Ukraine. Kateryna Fedkina, a member of the Ukrainian Association of South Africa, told local media that it was “emotional and hard” to see a Russian naval vessel training in South African waters while Russian forces continue their military offensive in Ukraine.” 

Videos and eyewitness accounts from the protest show the group holding Ukrainian flags and placards calling on the South African government to end military cooperation with Russia. One protester said they were urging Pretoria to reconsider its decision to host Russian warships in exercises that they described as “contradictory to peace,” Yahoo News UK reported.

South African authorities have stressed that the naval drills were planned well before the current geopolitical tensions and are part of longstanding military cooperation with member states of the BRICS-Plus group, Africanews noted.

The protests also echoed criticism from South African political parties. The Democratic Alliance, the country’s second-largest political party, said it was misleading to frame the exercises purely as BRICS cooperation because major members such as Brazil and India were absent, and argued that involving sanctioned states such as Russia and Iran could undermine South Africa’s non-aligned foreign policy, RTL Today reported.

The naval exercises are taking place against the backdrop of emerging global tensions, including disputes between South Africa and the United States over other aspects of foreign policy and defence engagement. While Pretoria says the drills focus on maritime safety and cooperation, the presence of Russian warships has drawn scrutiny from both protesters and some opposition political voices inside South Africa, Yahoo News reported.

South Africa has not publicly commented on the protesters’ demands. Security operations continue around the naval base, and the exercises are expected to conclude on 16 January, with participants practising a range of maritime manoeuvres designed to enhance interoperability among participating navies.