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JOHANNESBURG. – The Russian embassy in South Africa has hit back at claims by US Ambassador Reuben Brigety that South Africa loaded ammunition onto a Russian ship last year.

This after Defence Minister Thandi Modise criticised the narrative South Africa had chosen sides in the Russia-Ukraine war.

In a statement on Tuesday, the Russian embassy said Brigety’s claims came as no surprise as the “US seems to have lost its ability to interact with partners on an equal basis long ago”, adding it could not “punish” South Africa for being “non-aligned”.

Last Thursday, Brigety said the US did not view South Africa as non-aligned in the Russia-Ukraine war and its choosing of Russia could risk trade deals with the US.

Hitting back at Brigety, the Russian embassy said the weapons allegedly sent to Russia did not match “neither the types nor the calibres of the systems currently in service with Russia’s armed forces”.

The embassy questioned the impact of a “minuscule” number of firearms and ammunition allegedly distributed by South Africa in the conflict.

The statement read: “[The] docking of [the] Lady R in Simons Town is being used as a pretext – totally fabricated and as false as the notorious tune presented by US State Secretary Colin Powell at the United Nations Security Council, which was followed by a full-scale invasion of Iraq.” – News24.com