No Evidence of Arms Transfer by Russian Ship, Says South African President

The President of the Republic of South Africa, Cyril Ramaphosa, stated in a public address that, according to the results of the investigation, there is no evidence of arms transfers for the Russian Federation aboard the Russian ship Lady R, which had been docked in South Africa, as reported by RIA Novosti.

“The commission found no evidence during the investigation that any arms cargo was loaded onto Lady R for export, and there is no proof to support the claim that the ship was transferring arms from South Africa to Russia,” the president said.

According to him, during the investigation, the commission visited the South African Navy base in Simon’s Town and received testimonies from nearly 50 individuals. The commission's work also examined more than 100 different documents, the South African leader added.

He also declared that the accusations against the Republic of South Africa regarding arms supply to the Russian Federation had a devastating impact on the country’s currency, economy, and standing in the world.

In May, the US Ambassador to South Africa, Ruben Brigety, stated that a Russian ship entered Cape Town’s Simon’s Town naval base in early December 2022, allegedly loaded with weapons and ammunition, after which the ship moved towards the Russian Federation.

South African President Cyril Ramaphosa has appointed an independent expert commission to investigate the situation surrounding the Lady R, which is under US sanctions.