Russia and China will be joined by South Africa in naval drills in the Indian Ocean, as the one year anniversary of Russia’s invasion of Ukraine nears – Photo: DW

Russia, China and South Africa will begin naval drills today in the Indian Ocean.

The exercise, which overlaps with the Russia-Ukraine War’s first anniversary, aims to promote the exchange of operational knowledge and skills, strengthen relations between the three countries and field-test Russia’s Zircon hypersonic missile.

Russia’s naval reputation has fallen considerably since the start of its invasion, where its Black Sea Fleet and marines have suffered a string of defeats. Most recently, a brigade of elite Russian naval infantry was routed last Sunday after a failed assault on the town of Vuhledar. In response, Russia has held unilateral and multilateral naval drills across the world, including two recent drills in the Baltic Sea and South China Sea, and finalized an agreement with Sudan to build a naval base on the Red Sea.

The exercise will likely be positively received by South Africa and China, and may pave the way for more multilateral naval exercises between the countries in the coming year. However, naval exercises and other attempts to rebuild the reputation of Russia’s navy will likely fall flat if its naval forces continue to suffer defeats in Ukraine. If Russia ultimately loses its war with Ukraine, Russia’s force projection capabilities and naval prestige might be permanently damaged.