President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. of the Philippines said on Monday that the presence of a Russian attack submarine in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea was “very worrisome”.
“That’s very concerning. Any intrusion into the West Philippine Sea, of our EEZ, and our baselines, is very worrisome,” Marcos told reporters, referring to part of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ maritime zone.
A Russian Kilo-class submarine was sighted 80 nautical miles off the western province of Occidental Mindoro on November 28, Navy spokesperson Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a statement on Monday, confirming a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper.
Philippines Navy frigate Jose Rizal established radio contact with the Russian submarine, which confirmed its identity as UFA 490 and its intent.
“The Russian vessel stated it was awaiting improved weather conditions before proceeding to Vladivostok, Russia,” Trinidad said, without elaborating on why it was in the area.
Naval forces of the Philippines escorted the submarine to ensure compliance with maritime regulations, he added.
Russia’s embassy in Manila could not immediately be reached for comment.
Russia’s Kilo-class submarines are considered some of the quietest submarines and have been constantly refined since the 1980s.
China and Russia declared a “no limits” partnership when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing in 2022, just days before Moscow launched its invasion of Ukraine. The two countries carried out live-fire naval exercises in the South China Sea in July. The two nations also held another maritime exercise in the Pacific Ocean in mid-September.
Tensions between Manila, a U.S. treaty ally, and Beijing have escalated over the past few years due to overlapping claims in the South China Sea. A 2016 arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s historical claims to the disputed waterway had no basis, a decision Beijing rejected.
Team Bharatshakti
(With inputs from Reuters
