Investigators in Europe have arrested two suspects who were allegedly behind the arson attack on a Starlink ground facility in Poland last month.
On Monday, Poland’s government accused two Turkish citizens of attempting to sabotage a Starlink “gateway” facility by deliberately trying to set it on fire. Both suspects were detained after entering Germany.
“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,” Poland’s Minister of Interior, Marcin Kierwiński, said.
The Starlink ground stations are deployed across the globe and used to transmit data to and from the orbiting satellites, which then relay the broadband to users on the ground. Hence, an act of sabotage could disrupt access to the satellite internet system, although SpaceX can tap backup routes through other ground stations, or even the laser communication on the satellites.
(Credit: Starlink)
Local firefighters managed to extinguish the fire. But Polish authorities suspect the arson attack was an attempt to disrupt Starlink access in Ukraine, where the satellite internet system has played a crucial role in wartime communications. While the arrested suspects are Turkish nationals, Poland is formally accusing the Russian government of orchestrating the attack.
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“We have no doubt that Russian intelligence agencies are behind this act of sabotage,” said Polish Minister Tomasz Siemoniak in the announcement. “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.”
Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk also tweeted the arson attack represented “another act of hybrid warfare,” which involves using both conventional and non-traditional tactics to destabilize a country. Poland is preparing to extradite the two Turkish suspects.
About Our Expert
Michael Kan
Principal Reporter
Experience
I’ve been a journalist for over 15 years. I got my start as a schools and cities reporter in Kansas City and joined PCMag in 2017, where I cover satellite internet services, cybersecurity, PC hardware, and more. I’m currently based in San Francisco, but previously spent over five years in China, covering the country’s technology sector.
Since 2020, I’ve covered the launch and explosive growth of SpaceX’s Starlink satellite internet service, writing 600+ stories on availability and feature launches, but also the regulatory battles over the expansion of satellite constellations, fights with rival providers like AST SpaceMobile and Amazon, and the effort to expand into satellite-based mobile service. I’ve combed through FCC filings for the latest news and driven to remote corners of California to test Starlink’s cellular service.
I also cover cyber threats, from ransomware gangs to the emergence of AI-based malware. In 2024 and 2025, the FTC forced Avast to pay consumers $16.5 million for secretly harvesting and selling their personal information to third-party clients, as revealed in my joint investigation with Motherboard.
I also cover the PC graphics card market. Pandemic-era shortages led me to camp out in front of a Best Buy to get an RTX 3000. I’m now following how the AI-driven memory shortage is impacting the entire consumer electronics market. I’m always eager to learn more, so please jump in the comments with feedback and send me tips.
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