Lithuania accuses Russia of trying to sabotage Starlink facilities

Lithuania accused Russia of likely being behind an attempt to sabotage communications facilities belonging to the Starlink network, used to support communications in Ukraine, after incendiary materials were found inside a company that houses satellite communications equipment.

According to statements made by Lithuanian Prime Minister Mindaugas Sienkevicius to public channel LRT on Sunday, the incident occurred around two in the morning local time, when a company containing nine satellite communication antennas and a control unit was targeted.

He explained that the equipment ensures connectivity to the Starlink network and contributes to continuing communications with Ukraine, without revealing the location of the targeted company.

Sinkevicius described the incident as a deliberate sabotage attempt, considering that it falls within what he called the "multi-means war" waged by Russia in Europe.

He said that the authorities will continue the investigation to determine who issued the order and carried out the operation, adding that the Russian side is the most likely suspect in planning it.

The Lithuanian official did not announce conclusive evidence proving Moscow's responsibility for the incident.

The incident comes after similar incidents targeting Starlink equipment in other European countries.

Last September, a fire broke out at a satellite communications station belonging to the network in central Poland, and the Polish authorities described it as an intentional act of sabotage.

The Bulgarian authorities are also investigating reports of burning antennas connected to the Starlink network, according to what Prime Minister Rumen Radev announced.

In a separate incident on Sunday, the Lithuanian authorities announced the explosion of a drone in the north of the country, resulting in damage to a car but no human casualties.

Defense Minister Robertas Kaunas said that preliminary information indicates the possibility of the drone entering from Poland, but Warsaw confirmed that it had not detected its crossing into Lithuanian airspace.

Later, Ukraine acknowledged that the drone belonged to it, and apologized for the incident.

Ukrainian Foreign Ministry spokesman Georgi Tykhi said that the deviation of the drone from its course may have resulted from Russian electronic warfare operations, while carrying out a Ukrainian attack on military targets inside Russia.

The Ukrainian army relies on the Starlink network to secure communications during the war, which makes its facilities and equipment of great importance to the continuation of operations.

The sabotage attempt comes at a time when controversy arose over reports of a reduction in the speed of data transfer via the military version of the network in Ukraine in early October, amid criticism from Kiev and European capitals.