MANILA (Reuters) – President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday the presence of a Russian warship under the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone (EEZ) in the South China Sea was “horrifying”.
“That is very concerning. Any interference in the West Philippine Sea, of our EEZ, of our facilities, is very dangerous,” Marcos told reporters, referring to the part of the South China Sea within the Philippines’ maritime zone.
A Russian Kilo-class submarine was spotted 80 miles west of Occidental Mindoro province on Nov. 28, Navy spokesman Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a statement on Monday, confirming a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper.
Reliable and interesting news every day, in your inbox
See for yourself – The Yodel is the go-to source for daily news, entertainment and interesting stories.
Philippine navy frigate Jose Rizal made radio contact with the Russian submarine, which confirmed its identity as UFA 490 and its target.
“The Russian ship said it was waiting for an improvement in the weather before going to Vladivostok, Russia,” Trinidad said, without elaborating on why it was in the area.
The Philippine Navy escorted the submarine to ensure compliance with maritime laws, he added.
The Russian Embassy in Manila could not be reached for comment.
Russia’s Kilo-class submarines are considered one of the world’s quietest submarines and have been refined since the 1980s.
China and Russia declared “borderless” cooperation when Russian President Vladimir Putin visited Beijing in 2022, just days before Moscow began to invade Ukraine. The two countries held naval exercises in the South China Sea in July.
Tensions between Manila, a US treaty partner, and Beijing have escalated over the past year due to a spate of issues in the South China Sea. A 2016 arbitral tribunal ruled China’s claims to the disputed waterway were unfounded, a claim Beijing denies.
(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by John Mair and Stephen Coates)