German police detained two Turkish nationals in connection with a fire that damaged a Starlink station in Poland last month, Polish officials announced on Monday. The arrests have heightened concerns about ongoing hybrid warfare tactics targeting critical infrastructure amid the war in Ukraine.
Polish authorities, including the Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski, confirmed that the suspects are believed to have set fire to the Starlink facility located in Masovia, the province containing Warsaw. He described the act as sabotage and part of hybrid warfare, pledging that those responsible will face justice in Poland.
Details of the Arrests and Investigation
The exact location and timing of the arrests in Germany were not disclosed by Polish officials. Prime Minister Donald Tusk also publicly acknowledged the detentions, supporting the statement from Poland’s security agencies.
The Starlink internet service, operated via satellite and popular with the Ukrainian military, has been a strategic communication asset during Russia’s invasion of Ukraine. Disruption to such infrastructure raises security alarms in the region and beyond.
Accusations of Russian Involvement
Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland’s Special Services Minister, implicated Russia in orchestrating the attack. He suggested a troubling trend of Russian intelligence increasingly recruiting individuals linked to the criminal underworld for such covert operations.
The Russian government typically rejects European allegations concerning hybrid warfare tactics and sabotage, dismissing them as disinformation or anti-Russian hysteria.
