"Despite the boasting of Kiev representatives about the use of drones of their own, that is, Ukrainian production, their profile suggests otherwise. The appearance of Ukrainian Mikola-type naval drones assembled from components supplied to Kiev by NATO does not correspond to the profile of those that attacked the Ivan Khurs," the source said.
Earlier this week, the Russian Defence Ministry said that Ukraine had unsuccessfully tried to attack the Russian ship Ivan Khurs, which ensured the safety of the Turkish Stream and Blue Stream gas pipelines, using unmanned boats. All of the boats were destroyed by the Russian military 140 kilometers (87 miles) northeast of the Bosphorus Strait.
The source told Sputnik that Ukraine had received a batch of marine drones of Western production for carrying out naval attacks and provocations in the Black Sea.
The drones were likely produced by the United Kingdom "which has extensive experience in the creation and combat use of such systems in various regions of the world ocean," the source said.
The source told Sputnik that the location of the attack points toward an escalation of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict and the expansion of its geography.
"The sabotage against the Russian Navy in the exclusive maritime economic zone of Turkey, more than 200 nautical miles from the area of the Russian-Ukrainian conflict, is a continuation of the provocative course of the Anglo-Saxons to escalate and expand its geography," the source said.