Lithuania says Russia likely behind Starlink arson bid

Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said on Oct. 18 that Russia was likely behind an attempted arson attack on a company in Lithuania that hosts communication hardware for Starlink satellite services.

Authorities found flammable liquids at the company after an early Sunday incident. Sinkevicius told public broadcaster LRT that the firm, whose location he did not give, houses nine satellite antennas used to guarantee a Starlink connection that supports Ukraine.

Sinkevicius called the incident an attempted act of sabotage or diversion and said similar actions had been seen elsewhere in Europe. He said Lithuania still had to learn who gave the order and how the incident happened, but added that the likely instigator was “the Russian side.”

Ukraine uses Starshield, Starlink's military-grade satellite service, and the civilian Starlink system. The services support Ukrainian communications, including military uses.

There have been other recent incidents involving Starlink-linked sites in Europe. In September, a satellite station in central Poland was set on fire, with Warsaw saying it was sabotage. In Bulgaria, Prime Minister Roumen Radev has said an investigation is under way after an opposition claim that antennas linked to Starlink were set on fire.