DFA checking if Pinoy sailors on ships Russian warships targeted

The Department of Foreign Affairs said Saturday it is verifying reports that Filipino sailors are onboard two merchant vessels being targeted by Russian warships a day Vladimir Putin launched an attack on Ukraine.

"We will have this checked," said Foreign Affairs spokesman Ed Menez.

Filipino seafarers make up the bulk of foreign sailors worldwide, exposing them to piracy attacks, sea disasters, and armed conflicts.

A Reuters report said Russian warships shelled a Moldovan-flagged chemical tanker and a Panamanian-flagged cargo ship due to load grain near Odessa port in the Black Sea on Friday.

A total of three non-military vessels, the report added, have been attacked since the start of Russian invasion.

On Thursday, the Turkish-owned Yasa Jupiter cargo ship was struck off Odessa, the report said.

In Ukraine, Philippine Ambassador to Poland Leah Basinag-Ruiz is assisting 37 Filipinos in Lviv after traveling the whole day from Kyiv to the Ukranian western city, DFA Undersecretary Sarah Arriola said.

DFA Secretary Teodoro Locsin earlier said he would travel to Ukraine’s border with Poland to ensure the safety of Filipinos fleeing attack of Russian forces.

There are 380 Filipinos in Ukraine, living mostly in capital Kyiv, but only 181 have been accounted for.

Locsin said Poland, which shares a border with Ukraine has agreed to accept Filipinos evacuating from the beleaguered eastern European state without entry visas.

A treaty ally of the United States, the Philippines has yet to condemn Russia’s invasion of Ukraine,  but called for a peaceful dialogue and resolution of disputes.

Outgoing President Rodrigo Duterte, who once called Russian President Vladimir Putin, as his "idol," has nurtured close ties with US rivals Russia and China.

"We urge all parties to exert every effort to stick to diplomatic and peaceful means to maintain international peace and security and avert a humanitarian crisis," a DFA statement said. —LBG, GMA News