Germany Detains Two Turks Over Polish Starlink Fire

German police detained two Turkish citizens at Poland's request over a September fire at a Starlink station in Mazovia, and Poland has sought their extradition. The fire at Wola Krobowska, about 40 km from Warsaw, damaged the station's power system and backup generator. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the German police detained the pair suspected of setting the fire and called it a new act of hybrid warfare, saying the authors will answer before Polish justice. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwinski said they will face charges of sabotage on instructions of a foreign intelligence agency. Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak told a news conference: "We have no doubt that Russian services are behind this act of sabotage, and it is worth adding that Russian services are increasingly turning to individuals linked to the criminal underworld." Polish officials link the blaze to disruption of internet services supporting Ukraine. Russia denies the accusations as baseless anti-Russian hysteria. Elon Musk activated Starlink over Ukraine in 2022; Poland has said it pays for Ukraine's subscription, and Ukraine's military relies on tens of thousands of terminals. Extradition remains pending.




