Inquiry Reveals South Africa Unaware of U.S.-Sanctioned Russian Ship's Military Cargo

An inquiry into the incident that caused diplomatic tensions between South Africa and the U.S. has found that South African officials were unaware that a sanctioned Russian ship was assigned to deliver military equipment to the country. The ship, Lady R, is under U.S. sanctions for its ties to a company involved in transporting arms for Russia's war on Ukraine. The inquiry report stated that the ship offloaded military equipment but no weapons were loaded onto it, and South African officials had no control over how the equipment was shipped. The full report remains classified, but the findings have led to calls for the U.S. ambassador to be expelled.