President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed concern on Monday over a Russian attack submarine spotted in the West Philippine Sea last week.
“That’s very concerning. Any intrusion into the West Philippine Sea, of our EEZ, of our baselines is very worrisome,” Marcos told reporters.
Marcos added that he would defer to the Philippine military for further discussions on the matter.
Philippine Navy spokesperson, Rear Admiral Roy Vincent Trinidad, confirmed that the Russian attack submarine had been tracked in the region.
The vessel, identified as the Russian Navy’s Ufa, was first spotted on November 28, about 80 nautical miles west of Occidental Mindoro, after leaving Malaysian waters.
In response, the Philippine Navy deployed both an aircraft and a warship to monitor the submarine’s movements.
The Ufa continued traveling slowly northward, remaining outside Philippine territorial waters and did not submerge before departing the area over the weekend.
