US has 'serious concerns' about docking of a sanctioned Russian vessel at South African port

The United States has serious concerns about the docking of a sanctioned Russian cargo vessel at a South African naval port in December last year and has raised those concerns directly with multiple South African officials, State Department deputy spokesperson Vedant Patel told reporters on Thursday.

The United States envoy to South Africa said on Thursday he was confident a Russian ship had picked up weapons in South Africa, in a possible breach of Pretoria's declared neutrality in the Ukraine conflict.