US accuses South Africa of providing arms to Russia

Vladimir Putin (left) speaking to his South African counterpart, Cyril Ramaphosa, at the Russia-Africa summit in 2019. Photograph: Sergei Chirikov/AP

The US ambassador to South Africa has accused the country of covertly providing arms to Russia – a charge that drew an angry rebuke from Pretoria.

Reuben Brigety told a media briefing on Thursday that the US believed weapons and ammunition had been loaded on to a Russian freighter that docked at a Cape Town naval base in December.