Lithuania foils arson attempt on Starlink gateway station serving Ukraine
Lithuania's prime minister says an overnight attempt to set fire to a Starlink ground gateway station with nine antennas serving Ukraine was thwarted after security was stepped up; the third such attack in Europe in 30 days.
Lithuanian authorities thwarted an attempted arson attack on a company housing a Starlink ground gateway station overnight on 18 October, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has said, in the third attack in a month on Starlink infrastructure in Europe that serves Ukraine.
The attempt came at around 2 a.m., when perpetrators tried to set fire to the satellite antennas and a control unit, Sinkevičius told Lithuania’s national broadcaster LRT. The company provides communications through nine Starlink satellite antennas used by Ukraine, he said.
“Authorities had warned the company of possible attacks, security was increased, and the attempt failed,” the prime minister said. Investigators found incendiary liquids at the scene, along with containers of three to 10 litres, including 3–5-litre containers and a 10-litre canister.
Sinkevičius linked the incident to Russia’s hybrid war against Europe, pointing to similar suspected sabotage incidents in Poland and Bulgaria. “It is likely that it is already clear who commissioned it — the Russian side,” he said, while stressing the investigation would establish the full picture.
Defence Minister Robertas Kaunas confirmed the attempt to reporters: “The situation has been brought under control, further actions have been prevented, but the investigation is ongoing.”
According to Militarnyi, the first attack took place on 23 September at a station in the Polish village of Wola Krobowska; two Turkish nationals suspected of involvement were arrested in the German city of Nürtingen on 12 October, with one theory linking the arson to a Turkish organised crime group acting for Russian intelligence. The second attack came during the night of 10 October at a facility in the Plana mountain range near Sofia, Bulgaria, where two German nationals aged 20 and 21 were arrested on 15 October on suspicion of arson.
The same night also saw an unidentified drone crash and explode in northern Lithuania near the Latvian border, damaging a passing car, according to Lithuania’s National Crisis Management Centre. Authorities have not determined the drone’s origin, and Sinkevičius said he would convene the National Security Commission on 19 October to discuss both incidents.
Sources
- Militarnyi, “Starlink Gateway Station Serving Ukraine Targeted in Arson Attempt in Lithuania”, 18 October 2026 — https://militarnyi.com/en/news/starlink-gateway-station-serving-ukraine-targeted-in-arson-attempt-in-lithuania/
- Kyiv Independent, “Lithuania foils arson attack on Starlink equipment, suspects Russian involvement”, 18 October 2026 — https://kyivindependent.com/lithuania-foils-arson-attack-on-starlink-equipment-suspects-russian-involvement/
- Hromadske, “Arson attempt targets Lithuanian company storing Starlink equipment, PM says”, 18 October 2026 — https://hromadske.ua/en/world/272738-arson-attempt-targets-lithuanian-company-storing-starlink-equipment-pm-says
- Ukrainska Pravda, “Attempted arson attack targets Lithuanian company storing Starlink equipment”, 18 October 2026 — https://www.pravda.com.ua/eng/news/2026/10/18/8058591/
- UNITED24 Media, “Lithuania Thwarts Attack on Starlink Facility as Sabotage Attempts Spread Across Europe”, 18 October 2026 — https://united24media.com/war-in-ukraine/lithuania-thwarts-attack-on-starlink-facility-as-sabotage-attempts-spread-across-europe-23559
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