The Russian air force has sent a group of planes to South Africa on a four-day "friendly visit" to cement the bilateral agreement on expanding military cooperation, the South African Defense Ministry said on Tuesday.
"The South African National Defense Force through the South African Air Force welcomes the Aerospace Forces of the Russian Federation on their goodwill visit in the Republic of South African over period 29 October to 01 November 2024," the ministry said in a statement posted on X.
The visiting Russian fleet includes Il-62 and An-124 carrier planes, as well as Tu-160 strategic bombers, which have never before landed on the African continent, according to the statement.
The Russian planes will land at the Waterkloof air base in Pretoria, in what the South African Defense Ministry described as a "friendly visit" and "part of display of defense cooperation, strengthening of military-to-military relations."