Special police units in Germany have arrested a man with Turkish citizenship in the Reutlingen district, who is suspected of orchestrating an arson attack on a Starlink satellite ground station in Poland. The Baden-Württemberg State Criminal Police Office (LKA) and the General Public Prosecutor's Office in Stuttgart confirmed that the suspect is currently held in pre-trial detention.
According to the LKA, the man is accused of preparing a terrorist offense by commissioning two other individuals from Germany to carry out the arson in Poland. The alleged saboteurs reportedly traveled to Poland on the night of September 23, 2026, to set fire to the Starlink terminal. During the arrest, authorities seized eight mobile phones and ammunition from the suspect's residence.
This detention follows the earlier arrest of two other Turkish nationals in Nürtingen in mid-October, who were taken into custody at Poland's request. An extradition procedure is currently underway against these two individuals. The Starlink network is considered a strategically vital component of Ukraine's defense infrastructure against Russia's war of aggression.
The Polish government has previously stated its suspicion that Russian intelligence services are behind the fire. Independent sources from multiple countries have confirmed to SPIEGEL that investigators are following a lead pointing to the "Daltons," a Turkish organized crime group active in Germany. These sources suggest that members of this gang may have carried out the targeted sabotage on behalf of Russian intelligence agencies.
The attack occurred at a Starlink terminal in Wolda Krobowska, south of Warsaw, which is also crucial for internet security operations in Ukraine. Similar attempts to ignite Starlink facilities using flammable liquids and Molotov cocktails were made in Lithuania and Bulgaria in mid-October. While these other incidents are not part of the current arrest warrant, two German nationals were arrested in Duisburg in mid-October following an arson attack near Sofia and are currently held pending extradition.
Sources: Der Spiegel.