Manila – Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr has condemned the presence of a Russian military submarine off the coast of his country, specifically in the South China Sea, a disputed area claimed by multiple countries, calling it “highly concerning.”
The Philippine military, in its report, as quoted by AFP and Reuters on Monday (December 2, 2024), stated that a UFA 490-class submarine was detected in waters 148 kilometers west of Cape Calavite, off the coast of Occidental Mindoro Province in the western Philippines, on Thursday (November 28) last week.
“That is very alarming. Any intrusion into the West Philippine Sea, into our EEZ (Exclusive Economic Zone), and our baseline is very concerning,” Marcos Jr. said during a press briefing with reporters on Monday (December 2) local time.
He was referring to the part of the South China Sea that falls within the Philippine maritime zone.
The Philippine military’s frigate, Jose Rizal, established radio contact with the Russian Kilo-class submarine, which confirmed its identity as the UFA 490 and its destination.
However, the Philippine military deployed a military aircraft and a warship to the location where the Russian submarine was detected. The crew of the submarine, according to the Philippine Navy’s report, said they were waiting for the weather to improve before continuing their journey to Vladivostok, Russia. The Philippine Navy then escorted the submarine to ensure compliance with maritime regulations.
The Philippine Navy spokesperson in the South China Sea, Roy Vincent Trinidad, said that the incident was “not alarming.”
“But we were surprised because this was a very unique submarine,” said Trinidad when speaking to AFP.
The 74-meter-long submarine, according to reports by the TASS news agency, is armed with missile systems with a range of 12,000 kilometers. The Russian Kilo-class submarine is also considered one of the quietest submarines and has been continuously improved since the 1980s.
Trinidad noted that the Russian submarine was still detected in Philippine waters on Sunday (December 1) local time.
The Russian Embassy in Manila and the Philippine Department of Foreign Affairs have not yet responded to the reports.
