All 78 Russian personnel aboard a military reconnaissance ship that collided Thursday with a freighter near Turkey's Black Sea coast are safe, according to Turkish and Russian officials.
Turkish shipping agent GAC said the Russian ship Liman collided in foggy conditions with the Youzarsif H, a livestock freighter displaying a flag from the West African nation of Togo.
Russia's Defense Ministry said the Liman sank near Istanbul after it "sustained a hull breach due to a collision" with the freighter.
Advisors to Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim expressed "sadness" over the accident to Russian counterparts.
Information about the condition of the Youzarsif H or its crew or cargo was not immediately available.
The freighter is managed by Nejem Co. Marine Services, according to Thomson Reuters shipping data.
Russian news agencies said none of that ship's crew members were hurt.
The Liman is a former research ship that the Russian navy converted into a reconnaissance vessel.
