Two men living in Germany have been arrested there over an attempted arson attack on Starlink equipment in Vilnius, Lithuanian law enforcement officials said on Thursday 29 October. The announcement came from Saulius Briginas, deputy head of the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau, who told reporters in Vilnius that the pair were detained in Germany at Bulgaria’s request, according to LRT, Lithuania’s public broadcaster.
Key facts
- What happened: an attempt to set fire to Starlink satellite internet equipment at premises belonging to the Lithuanian company Delska, where SpaceX operates and stores Starlink equipment, Anadolu Agency reports.
- When: Tesla North dates the attempt to 18 October; Bluewin says mid-October and LRT says several weeks ago.
- Who: two dual nationals resident in Germany — one with German and Turkish citizenship, the other with German and Serbian citizenship, per LRT and Bluewin.
- Custody: both are held in Germany under European arrest warrants issued by Bulgaria, Bluewin reports.
- Charges: Vilnius prosecutors named them as suspects on 27 October, according to Tesla North, over forming and operating an organised terrorist group, taking part in a terrorist group, travelling for terrorist purposes and a terrorist act that could have had serious consequences.
- Penalty: the most severe punishment for forming or participating in a terrorist group is 10 to 15 years in prison, Vilnius chief prosecutor Nėrijus Puškorius said, per LRT.
Why it matters
Bluewin describes the Starlink network as a strategically important component of Ukraine’s defence in the war against Russia, and Anadolu Agency reports that Ukraine has used Starlink and its military-grade service Starshield since 2022. Tesla North says the Lithuanian police release stresses work to protect critical infrastructure and companies that support Ukraine during Russia’s aggression.
That dependence is already under scrutiny for other reasons: we have reported on Europe and Canada moving to cut their reliance on Starlink, and on how Ukraine put the first satellite of its own Starlink alternative into orbit.
What investigators say happened
Briginas said the two men arrived in Lithuania on the eve of the incident and left immediately afterwards, LRT reports. “They have no ties to Lithuania and came here to commit this crime,” he told reporters, in the wording carried by Anadolu Agency. He added that the attack was not spontaneous and that the men knew where they were going, what they intended to do, and had prepared in advance.
The suspects had been placed on a wanted list, and Lithuanian authorities are cooperating with law enforcement partners in Bulgaria, Poland and Germany, according to LRT and Anadolu Agency.
How the sources differ
The outlets do not describe the men identically. Anadolu Agency calls them two German citizens; LRT calls them foreign nationals in their 20s holding dual citizenship; Bluewin says both are about 20 years old. Bluewin also states that the pair are suspected of organising and operating a terrorist organisation alleged to have committed similar crimes in Bulgaria and Poland.
Linked to fires in Poland and Bulgaria
Briginas said the suspects were also linked to October arson attacks on Starlink facilities in Poland and Bulgaria, and that more people have been detained in Poland over those incidents, per Bluewin and LRT. LRT adds an important qualification: the two men held in Germany are not believed to have personally set fire to Starlink equipment in Poland, although investigators suspect they were involved in that crime as well.
Tesla North says the men are in custody under warrants Bulgaria issued over a similar Starlink antenna fire near Sofia, the Bulgarian capital.
Background: a run of attacks on Starlink sites
Bluewin reports that Starlink facilities have recently been repeatedly targeted by saboteurs. In September a fire broke out at a Starlink ground station in Poland — in the country’s central region, according to LRT — and the government in Warsaw suspects Russian intelligence agencies were behind it. Tesla North says Warsaw called that blaze sabotage. In Bulgaria, several antennas used to connect to the Starlink satellite network were set on fire, LRT reports.
Tesla North places the Vilnius attempt in the same sequence as those events, alongside Turkey’s detentions over the Polish ground-station fire and Germany’s earlier arrests of two suspects in the Polish case.
The Russia question
Lithuanian politicians have accused Russia of involvement in the Vilnius incident, Anadolu Agency and LRT report, and Bluewin says authorities in the Baltic EU and NATO member state suspected Russia was behind it. None of the four reports states that the charges filed against the two suspects name a state sponsor.
What is still open
Beyond the transfer decision, the sources leave the sequencing of the cases unresolved. Tesla North frames the open question as whether Germany sends the pair to Bulgaria first or Lithuania gets its own chance to prosecute the Vilnius case. Neither Lithuanian police nor the prosecutors quoted by LRT gave a timetable.
Frequently Asked Questions
Will the two suspects be handed over to Lithuania?
Not yet decided. Vilnius chief prosecutor Nėrijus Puškorius told reporters the two men are in custody in Germany and that a decision on whether they will be transferred to Lithuania would be made later, according to LRT. Tesla North reports they are currently held under European arrest warrants Bulgaria issued over a similar Starlink antenna fire near Sofia.
What did the attackers use in Vilnius, and was the equipment destroyed?
Bluewin reports that the suspects used flammable liquids and Molotov cocktails at the company premises. According to the same report, no major fire broke out.
Has anyone else been arrested over the Starlink attacks in Europe?
Yes. Briginas said more people have been detained in Poland in connection with the incidents, according to Anadolu Agency and LRT. Tesla North also points to Turkey’s raids on a gang tied to Poland’s Starlink fire and to Germany’s earlier arrests of two suspects in that case.
What is Starshield, which the reports mention alongside Starlink?
Anadolu Agency describes Starshield as Starlink’s military-grade service. It reports that Ukraine has used both Starlink and Starshield as part of its defence in the Russia-Ukraine war since 2022.
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