Poland Sees Russian Hand in Starlink Station Fire; 2 Turkish Nationals Arrested
Poland arrests two Turkish nationals over a Starlink station arson attack, accusing Russian intelligence agencies of orchestrating sabotage.
Poland Starlink Station Fire: Poland has arrested two Turkish nationals in Germany for allegedly setting fire to a Starlink satellite station in September, accusing Russian intelligence agencies of orchestrating the act of sabotage. Polish government officials issued a stern warning to Moscow, alleging that Russian intelligence agencies were increasingly recruiting individuals linked to criminal networks to carry out acts of sabotage.
“We have no doubt that Russian intelligence agencies are behind this act of sabotage. Increasingly, Russian intelligence agencies are reaching out to individuals connected to the criminal world. We have excellent police and officers in the Internal Security Agency who can effectively detect and investigate any such case,” officials said.
Polish authorities did not disclose the identities of the two men, whose arrests in Germany were announced by Polish officials on Monday. The duo allegedly carried out the arson attack on Starlink infrastructure on September 23 in Wola Krobowska, around 40 kilometres (25 miles) south of Warsaw.
In a post on X, formerly Twitter, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the incident as “another act of hybrid warfare”.
Na zlecenie polskich służb niemiecka policja zatrzymała dwóch obywateli tureckich podejrzanych o podpalenie stacji Starlink na Mazowszu. To kolejny akt wojny hybrydowej. Sprawcy sabotażu odpowiedzą przed polskim wymiarem sprawiedliwości.
— Donald Tusk (@donaldtusk) October 12, 2026
Poland’s Minister of the Interior and Administration, Marcin Kierwiński, said the arrests were made with the assistance of European partners.
“It was very intense and painstaking work, requiring enormous commitment from our European partners and our services: the Police and the Internal Security Agency,” the ministry said in a press release.
“Last week, arrest warrants and European Arrest Warrants were issued for both of these individuals, and they formed the direct basis for today's execution,” it added.
Poland Accuses Russia of Escalating Sabotage Activities
Poland has accused Russia of intensifying covert operations targeting the country and other European Union (EU) and NATO member states. According to Polish authorities, the activities have escalated since 2024, following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine in February 2022. A report by Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) covering 2024–2025 said Russian intelligence had conducted extensive operations in Poland, including preparations for acts of sabotage.
“It should be emphasised that over the past two years, Russian intelligence has conducted large-scale activities in Poland, including preparation for acts of sabotage. The targets of Russian attacks were not only military facilities and critical infrastructure, but also large retail outlets and other public places,” the report said.
It added that Russian intelligence services had accepted the possibility of fatalities as they escalated their activities, particularly in operations that could have resulted in air or rail disasters.
Russia Rejects Claims of Planned NATO Attack
Poland and several other EU countries have accused Russia of preparing for a possible large-scale confrontation with NATO and the EU, with some assessments pointing to 2027 as a potential timeframe. Moscow has dismissed such claims.
As of now, Russia has not responded to Poland’s accusation that its intelligence agencies orchestrated the alleged arson attack on Starlink infrastructure.
