Germany Detains Fourth Person Over Starlink Fire That Poland Blames on Moscow

By Reuters Oct. 13, 2026 An archive satellite image shows the Starlink station in Wola Krobowska that Poland suspects was sabotaged. © Airbus DS 2026 / Handout via REUTERS Police have detained two more people in connection with a fire at a Starlink station in Poland last month that Warsaw blames on Russia, private broadcaster RMF FM reported on Tuesday, citing anonymous sources, bringing the total to four. Earlier on Tuesday RMF said that German police had detained a woman in Berlin in the case. It then reported the detention of a fourth person, without providing any further details. Poland said on Monday that two Turkish men had been detained in Germany on suspicion of being responsible for the blaze. The blaze at the Starlink station in central Poland in September engulfed its power system and backup generator. Poland said at the time it believed the fire was an act of sabotage aimed at disrupting internet services, including for Ukraine's military, and blamed Russia. "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 Special Services Minister Tomasz Siemoniak told a news conference. RMF reported that the detained woman in Germany may have acted as a driver and that Polish prosecutors would now assess the extent of her involvement and decide whether there were grounds to seek her extradition. It did not give the woman's nationality or any other details. The German Interior Ministry was not immediately available for comment. Poland's National Prosecutor's Office also had no immediate comment. A spokesperson for Germany's Federal Criminal Police said the agency coordinated the exchange of information between Polish and German authorities in connection with the detention of three individuals. Officials from several European Union countries have warned for months that Russia has been mounting sabotage, cyber and other hybrid attacks across Europe to erode support for Ukraine. Moscow says such accusations are baseless and the result of anti-Russian hysteria. Read more about: Poland , Germany , Technology , Sabotage Sign up for our free weekly newsletter Our weekly newsletter contains a hand-picked selection of news, features, analysis and more from The Moscow Times. You will receive it in your mailbox every Friday. Never miss the latest news from Russia. Preview Subscribers agree to the Privacy Policy We sent a confirmation to your email. Please confirm your subscription. A Message from The Moscow Times: Dear readers, We are facing unprecedented challenges. Russia's Prosecutor General's Office has designated The Moscow Times as an "undesirable" organization, criminalizing our work and putting our staff at risk of prosecution. This follows our earlier unjust labeling as a "foreign agent." These actions are direct attempts to silence independent journalism in Russia. The authorities claim our work "discredits the decisions of the Russian leadership." We see things differently: we strive to provide accurate, unbiased reporting on Russia. We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. But to continue our work, we need your help. Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just $2. It's quick to set up, and every contribution makes a significant impact. By supporting The Moscow Times, you're defending open, independent journalism in the face of repression. Thank you for standing with us. Once Monthly Annual Continue Not ready to support today? Remind me later. × Remind me next month Remind me Thank you! Your reminder is set. We will send you one reminder email a month from now. For details on the personal data we collect and how it is used, please see our Privacy Policy. Read more opinion Andrei Pivovarov For Russians in Exile, Germany’s New Intelligence Hotline Is Worth Using Russians have learned not to trust the security services. But we should accept this offer of help to combat transnational repression. 9 Min read Poland Says 2 Ukrainians Working for Russia Suspected in Railway Sabotage The pair “have been operating and cooperating with Russian services for a long time,” Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk said Tuesday. 2 Min read Poland Arrests German Man Over Alleged Export of Dual-Use Technology to Russia Law enforcement said the man traded in “specialist machines” that were “illegally sent to Russian military plants involved in weapons production... 1 Min read Poland Arrests 9 Over Alleged Russian Sabotage Plots Poland's Prime Minister Donald Tusk said that among those arrested were Ukrainian, Belarusian, and Polish citizens. 1 Min read