A Russian attack submarine has been spotted off the Philippine coast in the South China Sea, the Philippine military said today, with President Ferdinand Marcos calling it "very worrying".
The submarine, UFA 490, was spotted on Thursday 148 kilometers west of Cape Calavita, on the island of Mindoro, according to the Philippine military.
"Any incursion into our West Philippine Sea, our exclusive economic zone and our baselines is very worrisome," Marcos told reporters.
The Philippines sent a plane and a ship to inspect the submarine, whose crew said it was awaiting good weather conditions to return to Vladivostok, Russia.
Philippine Navy spokesman for the South China Sea Roy Vincent Trinidad said the situation is not alarming.
"However, we are surprised because it is a truly unique submarine," the spokesman told AFP.
The UFA submarine, which was last seen in Philippine waters on Sunday, is 74 meters long and capable of firing Kalibr-PL missiles with a range of up to 12.000 kilometers, Russian news agency TASS reported.
The Russian Embassy in Manila and the Philippine Ministry of Foreign Affairs did not comment on the news.
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