Euronews reports that the German cargo ship EMIL was hit several times by drones in the Black Sea on Wednesday, leaving it unable to manoeuvre. The vessel was around 21 nautical miles from Odesa when the attack hit, with 11 people on board.
A fire was reported to have broken out on the ship, and several technical systems failed. The freighter was hit again while crew members were being brought to safety, adding a second strike to a vessel already disabled at sea. Euronews separates Danube Woolly Mammoth Bones from TV promo copy
EMIL and Mera Queen
The EMIL sails under the flag of Liberia and is owned by Johann M. K. Blumenthal GmbH & Co. KG, which is based in Hamburg-Altona. None of the 11 people on board were German nationals, and no injuries were reported.
Russia's defence ministry said on its Telegram account that attack drones struck two cargo ships last night in the Black Sea south and east of Odesa, and said the ships were transporting military goods. Bild also reported that the second vessel was the grain carrier Mera Queen, which sails under the flag of Guinea-Bissau, and one crew member was reportedly killed in that attack. No Jules Rimet Trophy facts in the source
Russia's defence ministry
The account from Russia's defence ministry leaves the central dispute in place: it says the vessels carried military goods, while the report describes EMIL as a German cargo ship with 11 people aboard and does not support that claim. For anyone tied to the ship, the immediate reality is simpler and harsher — EMIL cannot manoeuvre, and the vessel's condition after the drone hits is the fact that now governs what happens next. Euronews reports Southern Europe Extreme Heat continues
