Philippines scraps Russian helicopter deal - AP

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 defense secretary, Delfin Lorenzana, said late on Tuesday the 12.7 billion pesos ($227 million) deal to acquire the Mi-17 helicopters had been canceled. 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.