German authorities have detained two Turkish citizens suspected of setting fire to a ground station of Starlink in Wola Krobowska in Masovia. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński speaks of sabotage and diversion on behalf of foreign intelligence.
The detentions were announced on Monday, October 12, by Interior and Administration Minister Marcin Kierwiński, Minister Coordinator of Special Services Tomasz Siemoniak and Chief Police Commander Gen. Insp. Marek Boroń. As reported by “Rzeczpospolita,” the operation on the German side was carried out by the Federal Criminal Police Office (BKA), and the arrest was made possible by materials gathered by Polish police in cooperation with the Internal Security Agency (ABW) and the prosecutor’s office.
Polish police said in a statement that the men are awaiting transfer to Polish authorities under the European Arrest Warrant (EAW) procedure. The police stressed that the detention is the result of close cooperation with the ABW.
Charges after transfer to Poland
Kierwiński announced that once transferred to Poland, the detainees will face charges of sabotage and diversion on behalf of foreign intelligence. Siemoniak said the acts will be classified as acting on behalf of foreign services under Article 130 of the Penal Code. The detainees are currently suspects only, and their guilt has not been established by a court ruling.
The Chief Police Commander said investigators have recordings, fingerprints and DNA of the perpetrators. According to Gen. Boroń, the services know how the suspects moved, when they arrived in Poland and when they were “evacuated” from it.
Government: Russian services behind the sabotage
Siemoniak stated that the government has no doubt that Russian services stand behind the diversion. He added that Russians increasingly turn to people connected with the criminal world and do not use their own citizens for such tasks. Prime Minister Donald Tusk wrote on X that this is “another act of hybrid war,” and that the perpetrators will answer before the Polish justice system.
What is known about the station and the investigation
The fire at Wola Krobowska in Grójec County broke out during the night of September 23 to 24. According to “Rzeczpospolita,” two days later a prosecutor from the Masovian division of the National Prosecutor’s Office opened an investigation into sabotage and a terrorist-nature offence committed on behalf of foreign intelligence. Authorities were already speaking of deliberate arson at that time.
The station provides internet access across much of Central and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine, which is fighting Russia. It was launched at the end of 2021 and is the first such facility in Poland.
What next
No details have been given on when the men will be transferred to Poland. The EAW procedure requires a decision by a German court, and only after the transfer will the prosecutor announce charges and likely apply for detention. As of publication, no official statement has been issued by the prosecutor’s office or the German side, and no details about the detainees or whether the case is linked to other acts of sabotage in Poland have been given.
There are no direct consequences for users: the statements contain no information about service interruptions, and the station is part of infrastructure serving the region, not an access point for individual customers.
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