South Africa grants flight permit to US-sanctioned Russian airline

A Russian cargo plane operated by Abakan Air, a company under US sanctions for transporting military equipment, recently landed in South Africa. The country’s transport department confirmed that it had issued a flight permit for the aircraft, stating it was unaware of the US blacklisting and noting that it had not imposed its own sanctions on the operator.

This incident revives diplomatic friction, echoing a 2022 dispute when a sanctioned Russian ship docked near Cape Town. Relations between the US and South Africa have grown increasingly strained under the Trump administration, which has frozen aid and imposed high tariffs.

The flight, which originated in Iran and departed South Africa empty, is likely to intensify scrutiny from American lawmakers who are already reviewing the bilateral relationship.