All 78 Crew Members Rescued in Russian Black Sea Fleet Vessel Incident

All crew members of a Russian Black Sea Fleet research vessel whose hull was breached near the Bosphorus Strait have been rescued, the Turkish Coast Guard Command told Sputnik on Thursday.

ANKARA (Sputnik) — The crew was unharmed when the Liman received a hull breach in the sea 40 kilometers (25 miles) from the Bosphorus Strait, the Russian Defense Ministry said in a statement earlier in the day.

"Two ships collided: one Russian, one Togo-flagged. All crew members of both ships were rescued, there are no victims," the Coast Guard Command spokeswoman said.

A total of 78 people have been evacuated, she specified.