ANKARA, May 20. /TASS/. The Russian-flagged dry cargo ship Sparta IV suffered an engine breakdown while sailing through the Dardanelles, the Demiroren agency reported on Saturday.

The 122-meter vessel was sailing from Syria to the Russian port of Novorossiysk. At around 12:30 p.m. Moscow time, the engine broke down and the ship began to drift in the strait. The captain alerted the Coast Guard, which sent boats and tugboats to the cargo ship.

The vessel was towed from the main route to the Karanlik Bay, where it dropped anchor for repairs.