A Russian reconnaissance warship has sunk after colliding with a freighter north of Istanbul on the Black Sea on April 27 although all crew members were reported to have been rescued, Dogan News Agency has reported. A number of tugboats and rescue boats were dispatched to the area by the Coast Guard following the collision between the Russian vessel and the Togo-flagged ship, which was carrying livestock.



The Liman

According to the Defense Ministry, ‘the Liman’ collided with another ship, ‘Ashot-7,’ about 40km southwest from the Bosporus Strait. The hull of ‘the Liman,’ a 1,560-ton reconnaissance ship of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, was breached below the waterline, the Russian ministry said in a statement. According to authorities, it has since sunk.

Liman sunk at 14:48 at local time. All 78 personnel on board rescued by Youzarsif H and by boats of Directorate General of Coastal Safety — Bosphorus Naval News (@Saturn5_) April 27, 2017

Turkish Coast Guard officials stated that all 78 soldiers on the ship were rescued after the collision.

The collision, which occurred 18 nautical miles away (29 kilometers) from the coast of Kilyos, might have been caused by fog, according to officials. Media identified the other ship involved in the collision as the Togo-flagged livestock carrier ‘Youzarsif H.’

According to RT, ‘The Liman’ was built during Soviet times in Poland and commissioned in 1970. It is mostly unarmed, but carries a radar station, a hydroacoustic detector and other reconnaissance equipment needed to track surface ships and submarines.

It’s listed as requiring a crew of 85, although it was not immediately clear how many people were on board at the time of the incident.

Acording to Hurriyet, Turkish Prime Minister Binali Y?ld?r?m called Russian counterpart Dmitry Medvedev by telephone to convey sadness over crash of Russian ship, according to the Prime Ministry sources.



