WARSAW, Oct 12 (Reuters) – Two Turkish citizens were detained in Germany in connection with a fire at a Starlink station in Poland, Warsaw said on Monday, adding that it believed Russia was behind the incident.
Officials from several EU countries have warned for months that Russia has been mounting sabotage, cyber and other hybrid attacks across Europe to erode support for Ukraine. Russia says such accusations are baseless and the result of anti-Russian hysteria.
The blaze at the Starlink station in central Poland in September engulfed its power system and backup generator. Poland said at the time that it believed the fire was an act of sabotage aimed at disrupting internet services, including for 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,” Polish Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak told a news conference.
The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately reply to an emailed request for comment.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said the two Turkish citizens would face charges in Poland of carrying out sabotage on the instructions of a foreign intelligence agency.
Elon Musk activated Starlink services over Ukraine in 2022 after Kyiv pleaded for help in the first days following Russia’s full-scale invasion. Poland has said previously it has been paying for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription.
Despite Musk’s subsequent clashes with Ukrainian officials over his views on the war, Ukraine’s military relies on tens of thousands of Starlink terminals for battlefield communications and some drone operations.
Musk also agreed to turn off thousands of Russian “grey-market” Starlinks in Ukraine this year, causing problems for Russian forces.
Ukraine is now seeking to also use the terminals for attacks on Russian territory.
(Reporting by Alan Charlish; Editing by Alex Richardson and Bill Berkrot)
