Philippines’ Marcos says presence of Russian submarine ‘very worrisome’

MANILA (Reuters) -President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said on Monday 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, of 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 Nov. 28, Navy spokesperson Roy Vincent Trinidad said in a statement on Monday, confirming a report by the Philippine Daily Inquirer newspaper.

Philippine 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.

Philippine naval forces 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.

Tensions between Manila, a U.S. treaty ally, and Beijing have escalated over the past year due to overlapping claims in the South China Sea. A 2016 arbitral tribunal ruled China’s historical claims to the disputed waterway had no basis, a decision Beijing rejects.

(Reporting by Mikhail Flores; Editing by John Mair and Stephen Coates)