Philippines scraps Russian helicopter deal - AP

FILE PHOTO: A Mi-17 helicopter is seen during the leak test at Kazan Helicopter Plant, a subsidiary of Russian Helicopters, in Kazan, Russia August 24, 2020. REUTERS/Alexey Nasyrov

(Reuters) - The Philippines has scrapped a deal to buy 16 Russian military transport helicopters because of fears of U.S. sanctions, the Associated Press reported on Wednesday, citing Philippine officials.

A former Philippine defence secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, said late on Tuesday the 12.7 billion peso ($227 million) deal to acquire the Mi-17 helicopters had been cancelled. The decision to buy the helicopters was approved last month by former President Rodrigo Duterte, before their terms in office ended on June 30, the news agency reported.

(Reporting by Akriti Sharma in Bengaluru; Editing by Robert Birsel)