A Russian naval intelligence ship sank off Turkey’s Black Sea coast on Thursday after colliding with a Togo-flagged vessel carrying livestock, Reuters reported. All 78 personnel on board were evacuated, Turkey’s coastal safety authority was quoted as saying by the news agency. The collision was caused due to fog and low visibility and occurred 29 km from Kilyos village, north of Istanbul.

Russia confirmed that the hull of the Liman, part of its Black Sea Fleet, had sustained a breach, BBC reported. The fleet passes through the Bosphorus for deployment in the Mediterranean, notably in Syria, it added. The Togo-flagged vessel, named the Youzarsif H, also sustained minor damage in the collision.

Turkish authorities dispatched a tugboat and three fast rescue vessels, the coastal safety authority said.