Russian navy vessel sinks after collision off Turkey

A Russian reconnaissance ship sankafter it collided with a Togo-flagged cargo vessel off theTurkish coast on Thursday, according toTurkey's coastal safety authority.

The Russian ship Limanand the other vessel, identified by authorities as Youzarsif H, collided in fog and lowvisibility in the Black Sea.

The Turkish coast guard said all 78 personnel aboard the Russian ship were rescued after it senta tugboat and three fastrescue vessels to the area.

The freighter sustained minor damage it is able to continue sailing and all crew members are safe, according Turkey's transportation minister.

The ship wastaking sheep from Romania to Jordan,according to Turkish broadcaster NTV.

Russia's defence ministry said the collision occurred about 40 kilometres northwest of the Bosphorus Strait.

The Bosphorus, which cuts through Istanbul, isone of the world's most important waterways for transit of oiland grains. The 27-kilometre waterway connects the Black Sea with the Sea of Marmara, and, via the Dardanelles, the Aegean and Mediterranean seas.