A Russian intelligence warship sunk after colliding with a cargo vessel off the Turkish coast in the Black Sea on Thursday, the Turkish coast guard said.

All 78 crew members from the warship, the Liman, were rescued, the coast guard added.

The Togo-flagged Youzarsif H. freighter was carrying livestock when it collided with the Liman in heavy fog about 40 kilometers (25 miles) northwest of the Bosphorus Strait at about 1000 UTC.

The Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement carried by TASS news agency that the Liman's crew was unharmed and navy ships and a plane have been ordered to the area.

The Liman is a former research ship that the Russian navy has turned into a reconnaissance vessel.

cw/sms (Reuters, AP, DPA)