Poland says two held over Russia-linked Starlink station fire

Two Turkish citizens detained in Germany will face sabotage charges in Poland over a fire at a Starlink station in Masovia that Warsaw says was carried out on Russia's behalf.

Why it matters: The arrests tie the month-old fire, which hit a network Ukraine's military depends on for battlefield communications, to the wider campaign of suspected Russian sabotage across Europe.

Data as of Monday, October 12, 2026. Al Jazeera report, opened and read in full, single-sourced to Polish officials' Monday announcement; the attribution to Russian services is Warsaw's claim, the Russian embassy in Warsaw had not replied to a request for comment, and Moscow has previously dismissed similar accusations. Developing item.

Two Turkish citizens have been detained in Germany over a fire at a Starlink station in central Poland that Warsaw brands an act of sabotage carried out on Russia’s behalf, Polish officials said Monday. The fire, a month ago in Masovia, engulfed the station’s power system and backup generator, and officials say it was aimed at disrupting internet services, including for Ukraine’s military.

Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said the two men would face charges in Poland of carrying out sabotage on the instructions of a foreign intelligence agency, and Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak said Warsaw has no doubt Russian services were behind it. That attribution is Poland’s claim: the Russian embassy in Warsaw did not immediately reply to a request for comment, and Moscow has previously dismissed similar accusations as baseless.

Poland says two held over Russia-linked Starlink station fire

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