Two Turkish citizens have been detained in Germany in connection with a fire at a Starlink station in central Poland, which Polish officials have described as an act of sabotage linked to Russia. The arrests were announced on Monday, one month after the incident, which Polish authorities claim was intended to disrupt internet services, including those used by Ukraine's military. The fire occurred in Masovia, Eastern Poland, and affected the Starlink station's power system and backup generator.
Polish Minister of Interior Marcin Kierwinski stated that the two men would face charges in Poland for carrying out sabotage under the direction of a foreign intelligence agency. The arrests were made by German police at the request of Polish authorities, although specific details regarding the location and timing of the detentions were not disclosed.
Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak expressed confidence that Russian services were involved in the sabotage, noting a trend of Russian agencies collaborating with individuals from the criminal underworld. This incident is part of a broader pattern of activities that EU officials associate with a Russian campaign of sabotage and hybrid attacks aimed at undermining support for Ukraine.
The Russian embassy in Warsaw has not responded to requests for comment, and Moscow has previously rejected similar allegations as unfounded and driven by anti-Russian sentiment. Ukraine's military relies heavily on Starlink terminals for communication and drone operations, with Starlink founder Elon Musk activating the service in Ukraine shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion in 2022. Poland has been covering the costs of Ukraine's Starlink subscription. Musk has had disagreements with Ukrainian officials regarding the war and has taken actions that have impacted Russian military operations, including disabling certain Starlink terminals in Ukraine.