Bulgaria has issued a European arrest warrant against two 19-year-old German citizens. The two are accused of vandalizing a series of Starlink antennas near the Bulgarian capital, Sofia. This action came after the Sofia court agreed to the prosecutors' request for an arrest warrant.
Details of the Vandalism
The two suspects are accused of intentionally setting fire to the Starlink antennas on October 9. Out of 18 antennas in a mountainous area south of Sofia, three antennas were completely destroyed, two antennas were partially burned, and three other antennas were also damaged. The prosecution stated that these individuals entered Bulgaria from Serbia in vehicles with German license plates and introduced themselves as tourists.
Security Implications
Plamen Tunchov, head of Bulgaria's State Agency for National Security (DANS), stated that he believes this was a deliberate act and did not rule out the possibility of similar actions in the future. This vandalism occurs while Ukraine is using Starlink's satellite internet services for military communications amid its war with Russia. Although Bulgaria does not share a direct border with Ukraine, it is located in the Black Sea, one of the hot spots of the conflict.
The news of the recent arrests in Bulgaria came just a week after four individuals were arrested in Germany for vandalizing a Starlink satellite communication station in Poland. Polish officials believe this vandalism was carried out by Russian agents, and Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk described it as an act of "hybrid warfare."
Meanwhile, in the Baltics, the Prime Minister of Lithuania has also stated that Russia is likely behind a fire attack on a company hosting Starlink communication equipment.
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