Poland says two Turks arrested over Russia-linked Starlink station fire

What the report says

Poland says two Turkish citizens have been detained in Germany in connection with a fire at a Starlink station in central Poland, an incident Warsaw says was sabotage carried out on Russia’s behalf. Polish authorities announced the arrests on Monday, about a month after the blaze, which they say affected equipment used to support internet access, including for Ukraine’s military.

According to Poland’s interior minister, Marcin Kierwinski, the two suspects are expected to face sabotage charges in Poland for allegedly acting on behalf of a foreign intelligence service. Polish special services minister Tomasz Siemoniak said the government has no doubt Russian services were behind the incident. German police reportedly carried out the arrests on behalf of Polish services, though officials did not specify where or when in Germany the men were detained.

The fire took place in Masovia, in eastern Poland, and damaged the station’s power system and backup generator. The case fits into broader European concerns about sabotage and hybrid operations linked to Russia since the invasion of Ukraine. Moscow has previously rejected similar accusations, while Poland has said it pays for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription, which is used by Ukrainian forces for communications and, in some cases, drone operations.