A Russian cargo aircraft, which has been blacklisted by the US, and landed in Upington on Thursday was offloading transport general cargo, civilian helicopters, and acrobatic aeroplanes, the Department of Transport confirmed on Sunday.

The aircraft belongs to Abakan Air, which was blacklisted by the US in June 2024, for transporting Russian military equipment and supporting Russia’s defence industrial base during its war against Ukraine. 

The landing of Abakan Air in South Africa has raised concerns that this could exacerbate the already prickly relationship between South Africa and the US. 

According to media reports, the Ilyushin IL-76 cargo aircraft landed heavily loaded before it was later spotted empty when it stopped for fuel at Lanseria Airport. 

The last recorded position on Flightrader24 (FR24) for the aircraft shows that before the long flight to South Africa via Dar es Salaam, it had been in Iran for a considerable time. 

The US Department of Treasury’s Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC) designated the Moscow-based cargo airline as part of a larger round of sanctions targeting Russia.

Asked if the company applied for a foreign operator permit from the Department of Transport, spokesperson Collen Msibi said it had and this was granted.

Msibi said Abakan Air applied for a permit on September 9 and this was issued on September 23 and the purpose was to transport general cargo, civilian helicopters and acrobatic aeroplanes. 

“It must also be noted that the South African government has not blacklisted the operator. Furthermore, we have no knowledge or receipt of any information from any other government that this operator has been blacklisted,” he said.

Asked if the Department of International Relations & Cooperation (Dirco) was made aware of this, spokesperson Chris Phiri refused to comment, saying questions should be sent to the Department of Transport.

International relations expert Dr Noluthando Phungula said this will anger US President Donald Trump, adding that it would most likely take a similar route as the ‘Lady R incident’.

The Lady R incident was a diplomatic controversy in December 2022, triggered by the docking of a US-sanctioned Russian cargo vessel at a South African naval base.

The incident sparked international scrutiny and led to accusations that South Africa was supplying weapons to Russia. An independent inquiry was subsequently launched to investigate the matter.  The investigation found no evidence to substantiate the claim that weapons were loaded onto the Lady R destined for Russia.

Phungula said the timing of the incident works against the current engagement between Pretoria and Washington, following the expiration of  African Growth and Opportunity Act (Agoa) agreement. 

“Politics is about the acquisition and retainment of power. Iran and Russia are both a part of the formation. The BRICS expansion and growth speaks to a clearer call from the Global South towards multilateralism. 

“This inadvertently challenges Western dominance and calls for a reformation of international power structures. This is certainly an uncomfortable reality for the Trump administration,” Phungula said.

South Africa is currently negotiating with the US to secure a renewal of Agoa and to remove the 30% punitive tariffs imposed by the Trump administration. Despite South Africa’s lobbying efforts, Agoa expired at the end of September 2025 without a confirmed renewal.

The US has scrutinised South Africa’s foreign policy, particularly its perceived closeness to countries like Russia, China, and Iran. South Africa’s neutral stance on the Russia-Ukraine war and its critical position on the Israel-Palestine conflict have been points of contention.

In August, the US government expressed “great concern” over South African National Defence Force (SANDF) Chief General Rudzani Maphwanya’s visit to Iran. The US also asked South Africa to provide clarification on the matter.

manyane.manyane@inl.co.za

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