Russian state-controlled media claims Turkey has stolen the secret signals intelligence (SIGINT) spying equipment and encryption codes from the Russian spy ship, Liman, which sank off the northern coast of Turkey after colliding with a far larger ship.

Liman sank some 40 km northwest of the Bosphorus Strait on April 27. The collision between the Togo-flagged freighter Youzarsif H. loaded with sheep and the Russian spy ship occurred in foggy conditions with poor visibility.  All 78 crewmen of Liman were rescued by a nearby Turkish ship.

Like Us on Facebook

Liman recently returned from a three-month deployment off the coast of Syria in February where she launched SIGINT operations against the U.S. and its coalition partners fighting to oust the regime of Syrian president Bashar al-Assad, who is being backed by Russia with air strikes and cruise missile strikes from Russian Navy warships in the Black Sea.

Russian media described Liman as a middle-sized spy ship (or reconnaissance ship) whose job is to intercept radio and telephone conversations, and signals from foreign satellites.

A Russian military expert said secret Russian equipment was located on the deck of the Liman, and was taken by divers of the Turkish Navy only an hour after the ship sank.

Russian media said Liman was equipped with the Don-2NP phased-array radar system designed to detect small objects in space; the Bronza hydro-acoustic system that detects submarines at long-range and a number of classified spying equipment.

It's still too early to speak about foreign sabotage theories and the possible theft of Russia's secret equipment, said retired Admiral Igor Kasatonov, former Supreme Commander of the Black Sea Fleet and First Deputy Naval Supreme Commander.

"For now there is no proof and therefore no case," said Kasatonov.

"The Russian Naval Command placed a guard unit on the site of the crash. A ship with hydro-acoustic devices is enough to understand what is going on at the bottom of the sea."

TagsRussia, Turkey, Liman, Russian spy ship, Youzarsif H., sunk, Signals intelligence, SIGINT, Don-2NP phased-array radar system, Bronza hydro-acoustic system