Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr expressed concern on Monday (December 2) about the rare appearance of a Russian attack submarine in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone last week.
According to local media outlet Daily Inquirer, multiple national security sources revealed that the Russian submarine surfaced in the Philippines’ exclusive economic zone in the South China Sea on November 28 and remained there until the weekend.
The submarine, known as “Ufa, B-588,” traveled from Malaysia to the area. When it surfaced, it was approximately 148 kilometers off the coast of Zambales province in the Philippines, prompting attention due to its presence in the exclusive economic zone.
The Philippine Navy quickly dispatched a military aircraft and a warship to track the Ufa submarine.
The Ufa gradually sailed north over the weekend without submerging again, all while being closely monitored by the Philippine missile frigate BRP Jose Rizal.
In an interview with the media on the 2nd, President Marcos stated, “This incident is very concerning. Any violation of our West Philippine Sea, our exclusive economic zone, our baseline, is very concerning.”
President Marcos did not provide details on the Russian submarine’s entry into the Philippine economic waters, only stating that the military would further discuss and handle the matter.
The Ufa is an improved version of the Russian Kilo-class submarine, powered by diesel-electric engines. These types of submarines typically have good stealth capabilities, are suitable for coastal operations, and have a certain anti-submarine capability.
Both the Philippine Navy spokesperson and the Russian Embassy in Manila have yet to respond to the news.
The tensions between China and the Philippines have been escalating over the past year due to their competing sovereignty claims in the South China Sea. In 2016, the international arbitral tribunal ruled that China’s historical “nine-dash line” claim was invalid, but Beijing refused to accept the decision.
In February 2022, China and Russia announced an “unlimited” partnership just days before the Russia-Ukraine war, and in July 2024, they conducted live-fire military exercises in the South China Sea.