German authorities have detained two Turkish citizens suspected of setting fire to a Starlink ground station near Warsaw. Polish authorities believe Russian intelligence services were behind the suspected sabotage.
Poland has requested the suspects’ extradition. Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s minister coordinating the country’s intelligence services, said at an Oct. 12 news conference that Warsaw had “no doubt” Russian intelligence was involved in the arson attack.
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk called the incident another act of hybrid warfare. In a post on X, he said those responsible for the sabotage would face a Polish court.
The fire broke out late on Sept. 23 around power-supply equipment serving a Starlink ground station that provides communications in Poland and other Eastern European countries, including Ukraine. The incident did not cause major internet disruptions.
Poland, one of the main transit routes for Western military aid to Ukraine, has recently experienced a series of suspected sabotage operations and cyberattacks targeting critical infrastructure with water systems, energy facilities, and hospitals all coming under attack. Polish authorities have also linked Russian intelligence services to damage to a railway line between Warsaw and the Ukrainian border.
