Africa-Press – Namibia. RUSSIAN naval vessels en route to a multinational naval exercise in South African waters have made a port call in Walvis Bay, drawing attention to Namibia’s growing role as a logistical stopover amid increased naval activity involving Russia, China and Iran in the region.
Two Russian warships — the Steregushchiy-class corvette Stoykiy (F545) and the Altay-class oiler Yelnya (A168) — docked in Walvis Bay between 28 and 31 December 2025 for what local port authorities described as a routine resupply and rest visit. The vessels are heading to Cape Town to participate in a naval exercise scheduled for early January 2026.
According to the Russian Embassy in Namibia, the port call formed part of a Baltic Fleet deployment and included official engagements with Namibian defence leadership. Namibia’s Defence Force, senior Namibian Navy officers and representatives of security agencies attended a reception held aboard the Stoykiy, hosted in the name of the Commander-in-Chief of the Russian Navy. Russia’s ambassador to Namibia, Mr. Dmitry Lobach, also visited the ships during their stay.
The embassy described the visit as the third by Russian warships to Namibia in the past two years, calling it a significant development in bilateral relations and an indication of what it termed the “special nature” of ties between the two countries.
The Russian vessels are en route to take part in a multinational naval drill off South Africa’s coast between 9 and 16 January 2026. South Africa’s Navy has indicated that the exercise will focus on interoperability and peacekeeping scenarios in the South Atlantic. The drill is expected to involve naval contingents from Russia, China and Iran.
China has also deployed vessels toward southern Africa, with two People’s Liberation Army Navy ships — a guided-missile destroyer and a replenishment vessel — having made a port call in Mombasa, Kenya, on Christmas Eve while en route south. Iranian naval participation is also anticipated as part of the exercise.
For Namibia, the Walvis Bay port call underscores the strategic importance of its harbour as a regional maritime hub and highlights the country’s continued engagement with international naval partners, as authorities stress that such visits are routine and in line with established diplomatic and defence protocols.
For More News And Analysis About Namibia Follow Africa-Press
