Two Turkish citizens were detained in Germany in connection with a fire at a Starlink station in central Poland, Polish authorities announced Monday. Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski and Prime Minister Donald Tusk reported the arrests, with Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak stating that Russian services were behind the incident.
The fire occurred in September at the Starlink facility in central Poland, engulfing its power system and backup generator. Polish officials said at the time they believed the fire was an act of sabotage intended to disrupt internet services, including those used by Ukraine's military.
"We have no doubt that Russian services are behind this act of sabotage, and it is worth adding that Russian services are increasingly turning to individuals linked to the criminal underworld," Siemoniak said at a news conference.
Polish officials did not specify the exact location or timing of the two men's detention in Germany. The satellite-based Starlink internet service has been widely used by Ukraine's military since Russia's 2022 invasion.
Officials from several European Union member states have warned for months that Russia has been conducting sabotage, cyber, and other hybrid attacks across Europe aimed at eroding support for Ukraine or impacting Ukraine directly. Russia has rejected such accusations as baseless, characterizing them as the result of anti-Russian hysteria.
Starlink was deployed over Ukrainian airspace in 2022 after Kyiv requested the service from billionaire Elon Musk's company.