Two Suspects in Starlink Equipment Arson in Vilnius Arrested in Germany

Reform.news Editorial Team · 29 October 2026, 13:57

https://reform.news/en/two-suspects-in-starlink-equipment-arson-in-vilnius-arrested-in-germany/

Two people suspected of setting fire to Starlink satellite communications ground infrastructure in Vilnius on October 18 have been arrested in Germany. Both live in Germany. One holds German and Turkish citizenship, while the other holds German and Serbian citizenship, the Lithuanian Criminal Police Bureau reports.

According to investigators, the arson attack on Starlink ground equipment took place on the premises of a private company and could have had serious consequences. Lithuania considers the incident a terrorist act.

The suspects were arrested in Germany under European arrest warrants issued by Bulgarian law enforcement authorities in connection with a similar crime in Bulgaria.

The Vilnius Regional Prosecutor’s Office has designated the detainees as suspects in the formation and operation of an organised terrorist group, participation in such a group, travelling with terrorist intentions, and committing a terrorist act that could have had serious consequences.

Two German citizens were arrested at Bulgaria’s request on October 23, Reuters reports. Their extradition to Bulgaria is being considered.

Bulgarian investigators believe that 19-year-olds Zeka I. and Tirpan B. travelled to Bulgaria for several hours on October 9, set fire to the equipment and left by car in the direction of Serbia, Bulgarian National Television reports.

It should be recalled that two Belarusian citizens were also arrested in Germany in recent days on suspicion of preparing sabotage targeting railway and energy infrastructure in the Nuremberg area. The men are also under investigation in Romania, where they are suspected of setting fire to an industrial facility in the city of Brașov.