Third suspect held in Germany over Starlink arson attack in Poland
German police arrested a Turkish national accused of ordering the September arson attack on a Starlink ground station in Poland, prosecutors say.
German police have arrested a third suspect over an arson attack on a Starlink satellite ground station in Poland, accusing him of ordering two other men to carry it out, prosecutors in Stuttgart and the Baden-Wurttemberg state police said.
Special police units detained the man, a Turkish national, in the district of Reutlingen, the state criminal police office (LKA) said. He is accused of preparing a terrorist offence, and investigators believe he instructed two other Turkish nationals to travel to Poland and set fire to the Starlink terminal on the night of 23 September.
The two men accused of actually setting the fire were themselves arrested around three weeks earlier in Nurtingen, also in Baden-Wurttemberg, at Poland's request, and remain in pre-trial detention while Warsaw seeks their extradition, prosecutors said.
Officers seized eight mobile phones and ammunition from the newly arrested man, prosecutors said. Germany has opened a separate national investigation against him, in addition to the extradition proceedings against the other two suspects.
Poland's government has previously said it suspects Russian intelligence services were behind the fire. German magazine Der Spiegel reported that investigators are also looking at a possible link to a Turkish organised-crime group known as the "Daltons", which sources in several countries said could have carried out the sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence.
Starlink is a strategically important part of Ukraine's defences against Russia's invasion. Similar arson attempts targeted Starlink equipment in Lithuania and Bulgaria in mid-October, using flammable liquids and petrol bombs; two Germans were arrested in Duisburg over the Bulgaria attack and are in extradition custody, though neither of those attacks is covered by the latest arrest warrant.
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What we know
- German police arrested a third suspect, a Turkish national, in Reutlingen over the September Starlink arson attack in Poland.
- He is accused of ordering two other Turkish nationals, already under arrest, to carry out the attack on 23 September.
- Investigators seized eight mobile phones and ammunition from him; a separate German national investigation has been opened.
- Poland has said it suspects Russian intelligence was behind the attack; Der Spiegel reported a possible link to a Turkish organised-crime group.
- Similar Starlink arson attempts occurred in Lithuania and Bulgaria in October; two Germans are in extradition custody over the Bulgaria case.
Why it matters for Europe
Starlink terminals are critical to Ukraine's military communications, and a string of arson attempts against them in Poland, Lithuania and Bulgaria this autumn points to a coordinated sabotage campaign against infrastructure that supports Kyiv's war effort, which Polish officials have linked to Russian intelligence.
Sources
Reported by 2 reports from 2 independent outlets in 2 countries.
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Questions and answers
- Who was arrested in Germany?
- A Turkish national detained in Reutlingen, accused of ordering the September arson attack on a Starlink station in Poland, prosecutors said.
- Who is suspected of being behind the attack?
- Poland's government has said it suspects Russian intelligence services; investigators are also examining a possible link to a Turkish organised-crime group, Der Spiegel reported.
- Were there similar attacks elsewhere?
- Yes. Starlink equipment in Lithuania and Bulgaria was also targeted with flammable liquids and petrol bombs in October.
This article was written with AI assistance from 2 verified reports and checked under the ECTV editorial policy. Spotted an error? Request a correction.