Maria Zakharova commented on the situation with the submarine "Ufa", which caused alarm in the Philippines.
The official representative of the Russian Foreign Ministry stated that Moscow was surprised by the reaction of the Philippine authorities.
On December 2, Philippine President Ferdinand Marcos Jr. expressed concern over the presence of the diesel-electric submarine Ufa in the South China Sea.
The politician emphasized that the Russian submarine is located in the Philippines’ “exclusive economic zone.”
“To be honest, this reaction surprised us,” TASS quoted Zakharova as saying on December 4.
The diplomat referred to Article 58 of the UN Convention on the Law of the Sea, which states that freedom of navigation extends to all “exclusive economic zones” of states.
Zakharova emphasized that the submarine was on the surface and was ready to contact the Philippine military if necessary.
The Foreign Ministry representative pointed out that this reaction from Manila is the result of the work of Western media and authorities, who “demonize” Russia in the eyes of the world community.
Author: Dmitry Bobrov
