(Bloomberg) -- Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. said the presence of a Russian submarine in the Southeast Asian nation’s waters is “very concerning” as its military vowed to continue safeguarding its maritime sovereignty.
“Any intrusion into the West Philippine Sea, of our EEZ, of our baselines is very worrisome,” Marcos told reporters on Monday, referring to parts of the South China Sea within the nation’s exclusive economic zone.
The country’s military said a Russian submarine, identified as UFA 490, was sighted 80 nautical miles west of Occidental Mindoro province in western Philippines on Nov. 28.
The Philippine Navy immediately deployed assets to monitor the situation, and a warship established radio communications with the submarine, the military said in a statement.
“The Russian vessel stated it was awaiting improved weather conditions before proceeding to Vladivostok,” it said. The Philippine Daily Inquirer first reported on the sighting early Monday, citing unidentified sources.
The military said it will continue to protect the country’s sovereignty, adding its “operations remain consistent with international maritime laws.”
The sighting of a Russian submarine comes against the backdrop of lingering tensions between Manila and Beijing in the South China Sea.
The Russian submarine was spotted on the same day that the Philippine Coast Guard received video footage and images that it said “captured the harassment of Filipino fishing vessels” by a People’s Liberation Army Navy helicopter in a disputed reef.
The Marcos administration has been pushing backed against China’s sweeping claims over the waterway, and the US last month said its forces are supporting their Philippine military allies in their operations in the South China Sea.
(Updates with statement from Philippine military.)
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