Russia, Iran, China and South Africa are participating in the drills, called "Will for Peace 2026," with Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia joining as observers.

South Africa held on Jan. 10 the opening ceremony for Chinese-led naval exercises taking place in South African waters until Jan. 16., Bloomberg reported.

Russia, Iran, China and South Africa are participating in the drills, called “Will for Peace 2026,” with Brazil, Egypt, Ethiopia and Indonesia joining as observers.

The exercises come after the U.S. boarded five oil tankers in recent weeks, including the vessel Marinera, which was sailing under a Russian flag at the time of its seizure.

According to a Dec. 31 South African government press release, the participating nations agreed that the main theme of the joint exercises are to “ensure the safety of shipping and maritime economic activities.”

Russia operates a clandestine network of vessels, known as the “shadow fleet,” to evade Western sanctions while shipping oil internationally. Russia relies on fossil fuel revenues to fuel its full-scale invasion of Ukraine.

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