Two Turkish Nationals Arrested in Germany for Alleged Russian-Ordered Sabotage of Polish Starlink Station

Two Turkish citizens have been detained in Germany in connection with a fire at a Starlink station in central Poland, an incident Warsaw has characterized as sabotage orchestrated on behalf of Russia. Polish authorities announced the arrests on Monday, approximately one month after the fire, which they stated was intended to disrupt internet services, including those utilized by Ukraine's military. The blaze occurred in Masovia, Eastern Poland, and severely damaged the Starlink station's power system and backup generator.

Polish Minister of Interior Marcin Kierwinski stated that the two individuals will face charges in Poland for carrying out sabotage under the direction of a foreign intelligence agency. German police apprehended the men on behalf of Polish services, according to Deutsche Welle. The specific location and timing of the detentions in Germany were not disclosed by Polish officials.

"We have no doubt that Russian services are behind this act of sabotage," declared Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak during a news conference. He added, "It is worth noting that Russian services are increasingly resorting to individuals connected to the criminal underworld."

This incident is the latest in a series of events that officials across the European Union believe are part of a broader Russian campaign of sabotage and hybrid attacks aimed at undermining support for Ukraine. The Russian embassy in Warsaw has not yet responded to a request for comment. Moscow has consistently denied similar accusations, dismissing them as unfounded and a product of anti-Russian sentiment.

Ukraine's military depends on tens of thousands of Starlink terminals for its battlefield communications and drone operations. Starlink founder Elon Musk enabled the service over Ukraine in 2022, shortly after Russia's full-scale invasion, following an appeal from Kyiv. Poland has confirmed it covers Ukraine's Starlink subscription costs.

Musk has since had disagreements with Ukrainian officials regarding his perspectives on the conflict. Earlier this year, he also agreed to deactivate thousands of Russian "grey-market" Starlink terminals operating in Ukraine, which had been used by Russian forces. Ukraine is now exploring the use of these terminals for operations targeting Russian territory.