Poland says two Turkish citizens were detained over Starlink station fire
Polish officials say two men detained in Germany will face sabotage charges over a fire at a station that routes internet traffic to Ukraine.
By Lucas Ferreira · Science & Environment Writer
3 min read
Poland says two Turkish citizens were detained in Germany in connection with the September fire at a Starlink-linked station in central Poland. The Poland Starlink fire arrests matter because officials say the site carries internet traffic to Ukraine, though the allegations against the men and Poland’s claimed Russian connection have not been tested in court.
Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the men would face charges in Poland of carrying out sabotage on instructions from a foreign intelligence agency, according to Al Jazeera and Reuters. The Polish officials did not say where or when in Germany the detentions took place.
German police made the detentions on behalf of Polish services, Deutsche Welle reported, as cited by Al Jazeera. The available reports do not identify the suspects, describe evidence against them or confirm that charges have been filed.
What happened at the Starlink station in Poland?
The fire broke out on September 23 at a state-owned Exatel station in Wola Krobowska, in the Masovian region, according to Reuters, the BBC and Deutsche Welle. It damaged the facility’s power system and backup generator.
Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said at the time that the blaze was deliberate sabotage intended to disable the station and interrupt internet access for institutions including Ukraine’s military. He also said the facility transmits internet traffic through Poland, including to Ukraine, using SpaceX systems that provide connectivity through Starlink terminals.
The station was operating normally after the fire, Reuters reported. Ukraine had not publicly said whether the incident caused a service disruption on its side.
What does Poland allege about Russia’s role?
Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said Poland had no doubt that Russian services were behind the sabotage, according to Al Jazeera. That is the Polish government’s allegation, rather than an established judicial finding.
In the days after the fire, Gawkowski said responsibility had not yet been determined, while adding that there were indications the case fit what he described as a new Russian approach to attacks. Prime Minister Donald Tusk also said at that stage that he was reluctant to label the incident sabotage rather than an accident without complete certainty, the BBC reported.
The Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment on the later Polish allegations, Al Jazeera reported. Russia has previously denied involvement in comparable sabotage incidents.
Ukraine’s military uses tens of thousands of Starlink terminals for battlefield communications and some drone operations, Reuters reported. Poland has said it pays for Ukraine’s Starlink subscription, making the station’s reported role in routing traffic to Ukraine central to the Polish account of the fire’s alleged target.
This story draws on original reporting from Al Jazeera.