--- title: "Ukrainian Association protests in Simon’s Town against Russian navy’s participation in Will for Peace" description: "The SA Navy will join warships from China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran in practising maritime safety and protection operations." type: "NewsArticle" publisher: "Daily Maverick" site: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za" section: "PHOTO ESSAY" author: "Peter Fabricius" author_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/author/peterfabricius/" canonical_url: "https://www.dailymaverick.co.za/article/2026-01-08-iran-russia-and-china-sail-into-simons-town-as-exercise-will-for-peace-kicks-off/" published: "2026-01-08T22:16:54" lang: "en-ZA" word_count: 602 --- # Ukrainian Association protests in Simon’s Town against Russian navy’s participation in Will for Peace > The SA Navy will join warships from China, Russia, the United Arab Emirates and Iran in practising maritime safety and protection operations. By Peter Fabricius · Published 9 January 2026, 00:16 SAST ## Key points - Joint naval exercise ‘Will for Peace‘ kicks off in Simon’s Town, featuring the SA Navy, China, Russia, and Iran. - Warships from the participating nations have begun arriving, with China leading the exercise. - Democratic Alliance criticises the military collaboration, saying it contradicts South Africa’s non-aligned stance. - BRICS-Plus involvement questioned, as not all member countries are participating in the exercise. ## Content Warships from China, Russia, Iran and the United Arab Emirates (UAE) have been arriving in False Bay for the joint naval exercise Will for Peace, which South Africa is hosting from 9-16 January. The Ukrainian Association of South Africa mounted a protest in Simon’s Town on Friday, calling on South Africa to immediately stop military cooperation with Russia. It said “the Russian Navy is directly involved in the russification, indoctrination and militarisation of Ukrainian children” who had been abducted from Ukrainian territory. ![Brenton-Naval exercise](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/ezDWstQbLvy7ZUIOcbnN5YJuEJM=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/ukraine2883_194482.jpg) *A small group of Ukrainians protested in Simon's Town against Russia's participation in the naval exercise. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* It also pointed out that the International Criminal Court (ICC) had on 25 June 2024 issued an arrest warrant for Russian Admiral Viktor Nikolayevich Sokolov for directing the naval bombardment of Ukrainian civilian infrastructure when he was commander of the Black Sea Fleet. The association also noted that after several months of efforts by Pretoria, Russia had still not freed the 17 South Africans who had been lured to fight for Russia in Ukraine and remained trapped on the frontline. “It is the height of cynicism to involve the Russian Navy in a training called ‘Will for Peace’ while Russia has waged an imperial war against Ukraine for more than 12 years,” said Dzvinka Kachur from the Ukrainian Association of South Africa. “A force that bombs cities, occupies territory, deports and militarises children, and recruits vulnerable African citizens into its military aggression wants to bring similar ‘peace’ to South Africa?” ![Brenton-Naval exercise](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/9XrEaXg_Rp9cxDOOWEL6DynzJlE=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/russia_2998_384143.jpg) *The Russian corvette Stoikiy (545) inside Simonstown naval harbour. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* The SA Navy has described this as an exercise of the Brics-Plus group of 10 nations, but has not said which ones will participate. So far the Chinese guided missile destroyer Tangshan (No 122); the Chinese replenishment ship Taihu (No 889); the Russian corvette Stoikiy (No 545); the Russian oil tanker Yelnya; the Iranian corvette IRIS Naghdi (No 82); the Iranian forward base ship IRIS Makran (No 441); the Iranian expeditionary base ship IRIS Shahid Mahdavi (No 110-3); and the UAE corvette Bani Yas (No 110) have arrived in False Bay. The Democratic Alliance has protested that conducting military exercises with these three countries undermines South Africa’s supposed non-aligned global posture and that BRICS is not supposed to have a defence function. ![Brenton-Naval exercise](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/tYCNRqXrQRRqcDDUSC-6GtApWa8=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/uae3062_927205.jpg) *The UAE Bani Yas P110 corvette in in False Bay and Iranian base ship in the background. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* ![Brenton-Naval exercise](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/Ws7oo65g0T8q3MOX4hXFhCCFkJM=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/russia3031_392509.jpg) *Russian Navy ship Yelnya, a Project 160 Altay-class auxiliary oiler, a vital refuelling ship that supports Russian naval operations off Simon's Town, with an Iranian vessel in the background. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* ![Brenton-Naval exercise](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/YPdspFPfUsZou8fxGJkDytjacuQ=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/orphans/russia_2913_157507.jpg) *Russian corvette Stoikiy (545), outside Simon's Town naval harbour. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* ![Two Chinese naval ships off Fish Hoek beach, the destroyer Tangshan in the foreground and the replenishment ship Taihu. (Photo: Brenton Geach)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/eqzozxbqNC2FJeG0VFZR-AWm1Hs=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2986/navy6C5781_253433.jpg) *Two Chinese naval ships off Fish Hoek beach, the destroyer Tangshan in the foreground and the replenishment ship Taihu. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* ![peterfab-naval exercise-Iran withdraws](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/RB8_6R5k_lL6TQsbW5ThwT_M36o=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2986/navy3_2658_895109.jpg) *The Iranian vessel IRIS Makran and the Chinese destroyer Tangshan 122 at Naval Base Simon’s Town. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* ![SAS Amatola at East Dock Yard in the naval harbour. (Photo: Brenton Geach)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/wpg5e7dtNY2t7udzjn2UelZymfU=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2986/sanavy24720_622704.jpg) *SAS Amatola at East Dock Yard in the naval harbour. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* ![Op-ed-Otto-Wu-SA-maritime](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/XCjRXHRVlpzFQ5D1NA3x6qxiH4w=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2986/navy22707_869070.jpg) *Iranian and Chinese flags from two navy ships at Naval Base Simon’s Town. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* ![Flags of the BRICS-Plus countries at Naval Base Simon’s Town, in preparation for the opening ceremony on Saturday, 10 February. (Photo: Brenton Geach)](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/YG0FtwIZ3WElk5K30LJnb1XkG3Q=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2986/navyflags2692_784520.jpg) *Flags of the BRICS-Plus countries at Naval Base Simon’s Town, in preparation for the opening ceremony on Saturday, 10 February. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* ![peterfab-naval exercise-Iran withdraws](https://cdn.dailymaverick.co.za/i/M1ybMW6QHzW3legbd1b6YnxVqk8=/200x100/smart/filters:strip_exif\(\)/file/attachments/2986/navy2_2688_333073.jpg) *Iranian sailors onboard the IRIS Makran, berthed on the outside quay at Naval Base Simon’s Town. (Photo: Brenton Geach)* *One of the pictures we used in this photo essay was miscredited. We apologise for the error and have taken it down.* **DM** *This story was updated on Friday, 9 January 2025, to include the Ukrainian Association of South Africa’s protest.*