Germany detains two Turkish nationals over Starlink arson near Warsaw

Investigators in Germany have detained two Turkish citizens. They are suspected of involvement in the arson of equipment at a Starlink satellite internet station located near Warsaw. The Polish side has already initiated extradition proceedings for the detainees to conduct further procedural actions with them.

Warsaw blames Moscow

Polish officials confirmed the information about the detention. Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s Minister-Coordinator of Intelligence Services, stated that Warsaw has “no doubts” about the involvement of Russian intelligence services in this incident. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk characterised the event as another act of hybrid warfare.

Incident details

A fire at the power supply equipment of the Starlink station occurred on 23 September. This infrastructure provides satellite connectivity not only in Poland but also in other Eastern European countries, including Ukraine. Despite the damage to the equipment, no serious disruptions to internet services were recorded.

The detention of the suspects on German territory marked a new stage in the investigation. However, the detention does not prove the suspects’ guilt. Currently, details regarding the evidentiary base linking the detainees to the arson, as well as the specific mechanisms of influence by Russian intelligence services, have not been made public.

This incident occurred against the backdrop of increased attention by European intelligence services to the protection of critical infrastructure, particularly telecommunications networks and energy facilities.