A man suspected of organizing the arson of a Starlink satellite ground station in Poland has been detained in Germany. According to the investigation, he directed the actions of two perpetrators detained earlier at the request of Polish law enforcement. Polish authorities believe Russian special services may be involved in the sabotage targeting satellite communication infrastructure.
The Stuttgart Public Prosecutor's Office and the Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office reported this on November 3. Details are also provided by the Polish outlet RMF24.
The suspect, a Turkish citizen, was detained on November 3 in the district of Reutlingen in southwestern Germany. The operation was carried out by special units of the German police as part of an investigation into a possible terrorist offense.
According to the prosecutor's office, the man allegedly instructed two other Turkish citizens to commit arson at a satellite station in the Polish village of Wola Krobowska, located about 50 kilometers from Warsaw.
The investigation believes the suspect coordinated the preparation of the crime from Germany. On the night of September 23, the alleged perpetrators traveled to Poland, where a fire subsequently occurred at the Starlink facility.
Investigators established that another suspect, a woman, was involved in organizing the trip; she allegedly drove the men to the crime scene.
During the arrest of the suspected organizer, police seized eight mobile phones and ammunition. The man was brought before an investigating judge in Stuttgart, who confirmed the arrest warrant. The suspect was taken into custody.
Separate criminal proceedings have been initiated against him on suspicion of preparing a terrorist offense.
Earlier, on October 12, German police detained two Turkish citizens in the city of Nürtingen, whom the Polish prosecutor's office regards as the direct perpetrators of the arson. The next day, a court ordered them to remain in custody.
Both men were detained on the basis of European arrest warrants issued at Poland's request. Their extradition procedure is currently underway for further investigation.
The arson of the Starlink station took place on the evening of September 23, 2026. According to Polish law enforcement, the fire damaged infrastructure supporting the operation of the ground satellite communication facility.
Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) determined that the fire was caused by deliberate arson. Investigators examined CCTV footage, collected material evidence, and reconstructed the circumstances of the crime.
During the investigation, it emerged that the arson could have been part of a larger sabotage operation. Polish intelligence services also identified a person who, on the instructions of the suspected organizers, gathered information about the target before the attack.
The Polish prosecutor's office is considering the version that Russian special services were involved in organizing the sabotage. According to the investigation, the aim of the crime may have been to disrupt satellite communications in Poland and other Central and Eastern European countries.
However, the published statement by the German prosecutor's office does not establish a direct link between the man detained on November 3 and Russian special services. The investigation is ongoing.
The Starlink system is of great importance to Ukraine, including for ensuring military communications in the context of a full-scale war. That is why attempts to damage its infrastructure are viewed by Polish authorities as a potential threat to national security.
Earlier in October, there were also reports of attempts to set fire to Starlink facilities in Lithuania and Bulgaria. Law enforcement is investigating the circumstances of these incidents, but their connection to the Polish episode has not yet been proven.
The new detention is the next stage in the investigation of the September sabotage. The German prosecutor's office has not yet disclosed additional information about the alleged masterminds of the crime or possible links of the suspects to foreign intelligence services.
