Germany arrests two suspects over Starlink antenna arson near Sofia

Two German citizens have been arrested in Duisburg on suspicion of setting fire to Starlink communications antennas near Bulgaria's capital, Sofia, Bulgarian prosecutors said, according to Bulgarian National Radio and Novinite. Both suspects are 19 years old and are wanted in connection with an incident on 9 October.

The Sofia City Prosecutor's Office issued European arrest warrants in the case, which were approved by the Sofia City Court. German authorities detained the pair on 23 October, Bulgarian news reports said. The arrests concern an investigation in Bulgaria, not a conviction by a German or Bulgarian court.

The two men are accused of acting together in the alleged arson. Prosecutors have described the case as a suspected deliberate attack on communications equipment, but the information provided did not establish the motive, the full damage assessment or whether either suspect was acting on instructions from another person or organisation.

Bulgarian authorities learned of the detentions through international police-cooperation channels. The German authorities have begun carrying out a European investigation order to obtain evidence requested by the prosecutors in Sofia, Bulgarian National Radio reported.

Extradition proceedings are pending before German judicial authorities. A transfer to Bulgaria is expected after the relevant proceedings, but no completed extradition or date for a handover was confirmed in the reporting.

The Starlink equipment is part of satellite communications infrastructure. Its intended end users were not specified in the sourced statements. The arrests do not establish a link between this case and other reported attacks on satellite facilities elsewhere in Europe.

Separately, Bulgaria, Romania and Türkiye held talks in Sofia about Black Sea security. Those discussions reflect wider regional concerns about drones and sabotage, but neither the meeting nor the broader security situation proves who was responsible for the antenna fire.

The investigation remains at the evidence-gathering stage. The public reporting does not provide the suspects' names or include a finding that a foreign state directed the attack. The suspects retain the presumption of innocence pending trial.