The Turkey Coastal Safety Authority said the Russian ship sunk shortly before 1pm BST and all 78 Russian personnel were evacuated.

Earlier reports said 15 soldiers were missing and 45 personnel were rescued following the crash in Turkey’s Black Sea coast.

The intelligence ship collided with a Togo-flagged vessel carrying livestock, identified as Youzarsif H, in fog and low visibility.

The Russian Defence Ministry said the vessel is the Liman, a reconnaissance ship belonging to the Russian Navy.

Russian media reported the ship’s hull was breached with crew fighting to keep the ship afloat.

The crash, that took place 25 miles north west of the Bosphorus Strait, tore a hole into the None of the crew members have been hurt.

Sources say Turkish Prime Minister Binali Yildirim has called Russian Prime Minister Dmitry Medvedev about the crash.

Turkish authorities dispatched a tugboat and three fast rescue vessels to the scene to rescue the crew.

NTV said the coastguard and emergency teams have rushed to the scene some 18 miles from Kilyos village, on the Black Sea coast just north of Istanbul.

Turkey’s Bosphorus Strait, which cuts through Istanbul, is one of the world’s most important waterways for transit of oil and grains. The 17-mile waterway connects the Black Sea to the Mediterranean.

The 1,560 ton ship, part of the Russian Black Sea Fleet, carries a radar staton and reconnaissance equipment to track shops and submarines.

Source: express.co.uk