Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius says security services thwarted an attempt to set fire to a Lithuanian company where Starlink satellite communications equipment is stored, in an incident shortly after midnight on Sunday. Writing on Facebook and later speaking to Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT, he linked the attempted sabotage to Russia’s hybrid war against Europe.
Starlink is the low-Earth-orbit satellite internet service operated by SpaceX, the US launch and satellite company. Both source reports are dated 17 October 2026; Kyiv Post dates the prime minister’s announcement to Sunday, Oct. 18.
Key facts
- The attempt took place at around 02:00 on Sunday at a Lithuanian company storing Starlink communications equipment, according to LRT.
- The target was satellite antennas and a control unit, and incendiary liquids were found at the site in containers ranging from three to 10 litres in capacity, Sinkevičius told LRT RADIO.
- It failed because the authorities had warned the company about possible attacks and security had been stepped up, Sinkevičius said.
- The prime minister attributes the attack to the Russian side and calls it part of Russia’s hybrid war.
- Jolita Orentaitė, head of the Communications Division at Lithuania’s Fire and Rescue Department (PAGD), told news agency BNS that a pre-trial investigation has been launched.
- Sinkevičius has convened an emergency session of the National Security Commission for Monday, Oct. 19.
Why it matters
Kyiv Post reports that Lithuanian security officials regard commercial satellite terminals — and Starlink equipment destined for government and defensive deployment in particular — as high-priority targets for hostile reconnaissance and interdiction, because of their role in sustaining frontline communications and emergency utilities. That framing is unattributed-official commentary: the outlet names none of the officials it paraphrases, and LRT’s report carries no equivalent assessment, so it should be read as a single-sourced characterisation rather than an established finding.
Starlink News’ own reading of the reported facts: the target here was the hardware supply chain rather than the network, and a terminal burned in a storeroom never reaches the user waiting for it.
For readers tracking Starlink across Europe, this is a security story and not a service one. Starlink’s own availability map lists Lithuania and its Baltic neighbours as live service areas, with residential plans and hardware sold directly through starlink.com, and nothing in either report points to a change in sign-up availability, speeds or monthly pricing. The equipment involved was in storage rather than in use.
What the prime minister said
“The security services had warned this company of prospective attacks, security had been reinforced, and the attempt was unsuccessful,” Sinkevičius said in the Facebook post quoted by Kyiv Post.
Speaking later to LRT RADIO, he said the incident was clearly an attempted act of sabotage or diversion, and that similar actions were being repeated across Europe. He said Lithuanian authorities were monitoring the activities of hostile states very closely and taking measures to protect people and their property. Kyiv Post reports that he also said agencies are coordinating protective protocols to shield critical infrastructure, civilian enterprises and high-value supply chains.
Kaunas confirmed the information to journalists on Sunday but said he could not yet provide further details. Orentaitė declined to comment further, citing the pre-trial investigation.
A drone, and an emergency security session
The attempted arson was not the only incident Lithuania logged on Sunday. Kyiv Post reports that an unidentified unmanned aerial vehicle breached Lithuanian sovereign airspace early that morning; LRT describes the second incident as a drone crashing in northern Lithuania the same day.
Monday’s National Security Commission session will examine the attempted arson alongside the drone, both outlets report. Sinkevičius said it is necessary to establish where the drone flew from and where radar systems first began tracking it, that findings from the examination of the debris will be critical, and that ministers will consider granting services additional statutory powers to neutralise drones, according to Kyiv Post.
Part of a pattern, according to Lithuania’s PM
Sinkevičius told LRT RADIO that similar or related incidents had already occurred abroad, including in Poland and Bulgaria.
Bulgaria and Germany precedents
Starlink News has covered both: Bulgaria’s investigation into antennas burned near Sofia, and the detention of a fourth suspect in Germany over a Starlink fire in Poland. Kyiv Post places the Lithuanian incident within what it describes as an escalating campaign of state-sponsored hybrid warfare, physical sabotage and airspace incursions directed against the Baltic states and Poland, and reports that allied intelligence agencies have repeatedly warned that Russian military intelligence, the GRU, and recruited proxies have intensified efforts to target European logistics hubs, supply warehouses and communications nodes supporting Ukraine’s civil and military defence.
Poland’s warning to Musk
On Friday, after European Council consultations, Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Moscow could escalate hybrid attacks, sabotage operations and border provocations against Poland and the Baltic nations before Christmas, singling out transit corridors for fuel, food and dual-use equipment as prime targets, Kyiv Post reports. Warsaw has also pressed SpaceX directly, having warned Elon Musk over Starlink earlier this month.
What is not yet known
LRT and Kyiv Post both stop short of naming the company, the quantity of equipment stored there, or who the hardware was destined for. Nor do they say what the pre-trial investigation has established so far. Sinkevičius said more would be learned about how the attack was organised.
Frequently Asked Questions
Was anyone hurt?
Neither LRT nor Kyiv Post reports any injuries. Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas said the incident had been brought under control and prevented, and that it was being investigated.
Have there been any arrests?
No arrest appears in either report, and the person or people behind the attempt are unidentified. Sinkevičius said it was likely already clear that the Russian side commissioned the attack, while adding that more would be learned about who ordered it.
How solid is the sourcing on this story?
Both reports trace back to the same official account: Sinkevičius’s Facebook post and his subsequent LRT RADIO interview, plus Kaunas’s brief confirmation and the Fire and Rescue Department’s statement to the BNS news agency. Starlink News has seen no independent confirmation from investigators, SpaceX or the company involved.
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