JOHANNESBURG, South Africa: South Africa, which has resisted taking sides following Moscow's invasion of Ukraine, announced on Thursday it would stage next month 10-day joint military drills with Russia and China off its coast.'As means to strengthen the already flourishing relations between South Africa, Russia and China, a multinational maritime exercise between these three countries ... will take place,' the country's army said.The exercises, dubbed 'Mosi' — 'smoke' in the local Tswana language — are scheduled for February 17 to 27, off the coasts of the port city of Durban and Richards Bay, which is 180 kilometers (110 miles) away.It will be the second such exercise involving the three naval forces, the South African National Defense Force said. The first was held off Cape Town in November 2019.More than 350 South African army personnel will take part in the drills 'alongside [their] Russian and Chinese counterparts, with an aim of sharing operational skills and knowledge,' the army said.South Africa recently assumed the chairmanship of the Brics, which includes Brazil, Russia, India and China in a group to challenge the dominant United States- and European-led global governance structures. South Africa has refused to condemn Russia's invasion of Ukraine, a war which has triggered sweeping Western sanctions. The main opposition Democratic Alliance (DA) party blasted the 'silly' exercises being held at 'an awkward time in global geopolitical history due to the Russian war in Ukraine.' The joint maneuvers prove that the government is 'biased,' said Kobus, Marais, DA shadow defense minister. 'It is obvious that the value for Russia is to showcase its geopolitical influence in southern Africa as part of their global war games against NATO and the US,' he added, using the acronym of the North Atlantic Treaty Organization.