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

Warsaw says two suspects detained in Germany will face sabotage charges.

Two Turkish citizens have been arrested in Germany due to the fire at the Starlink station in the center of Poland, which Warsaw considered a sabotage act by Russia.

Polish authorities announced the arrests on Monday, a month after the fires, which they said were aimed at disrupting internet services, including for the Ukrainian military. A fire in Masovia, eastern Poland, engulfed the Starlink station's power system and back-up generator.

List 2 Items List 1 of 2 Ukraine Attacks Russia's Starlink Network, Moscow Tracks Weapons Package

List 2 of 2 Russian attacks kill eight across Ukraine as US steps up diplomacy

End of the list Polish Interior Minister Marcin Kirwinski said the two men would face charges in Poland of sabotage at the behest of a foreign intelligence agency. According to Deutsche Welle, the German police made these arrests on behalf of the Polish services. Polish authorities did not say where and when these people were detained in Germany.

"We have no doubt that the Russian services are behind this act of sabotage," Special Services Minister Tomas Simoniak told a news conference. "It is worth noting that the Russian services are increasingly turning to people connected to the criminal world," he said.

The incident is the latest in a string of incidents that EU officials say are part of Russia's campaign of sabotage and coordinated attacks aimed at eroding support for Ukraine.

The Russian Embassy in Warsaw did not immediately respond to a request for comment. Moscow had previously dismissed similar accusations as baseless and a product of anti-Russian hysteria.

The Ukrainian military relies on tens of thousands of Starlink terminals for battlefield communications and occasional drone operations. Starlink founder Elon Musk launched the service in 2022, days after Russia's massive invasion of Ukraine at Kiev's request. Poland has said it will pay for Ukraine's Starlink subscription.

Musk has since clashed with Ukrainian officials over his views on the war. This year, he also agreed to shut down thousands of Russian "gray market" Starlink terminals in Ukraine, causing problems for Russian forces. Ukraine is now looking to use the terminals for attacks on Russian soil.