In Lithuania, on the night of 18 October, an attempted arson attack on a facility housing Starlink satellite communications equipment was foiled. The security services had warned the facility of a possible attack, following which security was stepped up. Law enforcement agencies have launched a pre-trial investigation into possible sabotage, whilst Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius stated that the government is considering the possibility of Russian involvement.
Briefly about the main points
- An attempt to set fire to a facility housing Starlink equipment was foiled thanks to heightened security.
- The company operates nine antennas, through which Ukraine receives telecommunications services.
- The Prime Minister admits there may be a Russian link, but there is no evidence of Russian involvement.
- Following an air raid alert, the wreckage of what is believed to be a drone was found in the north of the country.
- The National Security Commission will discuss both incidents and measures to counter drones.
Flammable liquids were found at the scene
According to Sinkevičius, the unknown perpetrators struck at around 2 am and attempted to set fire to satellite dishes and control equipment. The Lithuanian broadcaster LRT reported that flammable liquids and containers with a capacity of between three and ten litres were found at the scene.
The company operates nine antennas Starlink, through which Ukraine maintains communications. The Minister of Defence Robertas Kaunas confirmed the incident and stated that the suspected fire on the company’s premises had been brought under control.
The authorities have not named the company or disclosed its exact location. The case is being investigated as part of pre-trial proceedings.
The theory that Russia was involved must be investigated
The Lithuanian Prime Minister linked the attempted arson to possible acts of sabotage against European infrastructure. Speaking on LRT RADIO, he suggested that the Russian side might have been behind the attack.
Sinkevičius said that the police may have information about those involved in the attempted arson and expressed the hope that they would be apprehended soon. At the same time, Russia’s involvement has not been officially confirmed: the investigation must establish who was behind it and all the circumstances.
NATO scrambled fighter jets during the alert
This morning, the military detected an unidentified object in the country’s airspace, which was initially assessed as a possible drone. Residents of the central and northern regions were urged to take shelter for about an hour, and Kaunas Airport temporarily suspended operations.
NATO has raised two Italian Eurofighter fighter jets. Due to cloud cover, the pilots were unable to visually identify the object and made no attempt to shoot it down.
Debris from what is believed to be a drone was found near the village of Juodžionys in northern Lithuania; some of it damaged a civilian vehicle. The Lithuanian side admits that the drone may have flown in from Poland, although the Polish military stated that their radars did not confirm it had crossed the border. No evidence linking this incident to the arson attempt has been made public.
The National Security Commission will investigate both incidents
On 23 September, parts of the Starlink ground station’s infrastructure were set alight in the Polish village of Wola Krobowska. Polish law enforcement agencies are investigating a possible act of sabotage, whilst suspects believed to be involved in the attack have been detained in Germany. In October, there were also reports of suspected arson attacks on Starlink antennas in Bulgaria.
Sinkevičius has scheduled a meeting of the National Security Commission for 19 October. The Commission is to review the progress of the arson investigation, the origin of the drone and the circumstances surrounding its detection by surveillance systems. The government will also discuss a possible expansion of the powers of the security forces to neutralise drones.
