Lithuanian officials reported an attempted arson attack at premises holding Starlink satellite equipment in Vilnius. Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said earlier warnings and stronger security had thwarted the attempt. He alleged a Russian connection, which has not been independently established. Investigators were examining the incendiary materials and seeking suspects after the overnight incident.
Lithuanian authorities reported an attempted arson attack at premises holding Starlink satellite communications equipment in Vilnius, Lithuania’s capital, overnight on 18 October. Vilmantas Vitkauskas, head of the National Crisis Management Centre, placed the premises in the city’s Aukštieji Paneriai district. He said SpaceX rented the site from a Lithuanian company and that suspects were being sought.[1], [2]
Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius told Lithuanian public broadcaster LRT Radio that attackers tried to ignite satellite antennas and a control unit. Investigators found incendiary liquids in containers holding between three and ten litres. He said security services had warned the company of possible attacks beforehand and that reinforced security had thwarted the attempt. He repeated the account of warnings and precautions in a subsequent statement.[1]
The attempt against Starlink equipment was linked by Sinkevicius to Russia’s hybrid warfare campaign, referring to suspected sabotage in Poland and Bulgaria. He said Russia was likely to have commissioned the attack, while adding that more information was needed about who ordered and organized it. That attribution remains the Lithuanian authorities’ assessment and has not been independently established.[1]
A fire at a Starlink ground station in Poland on 23 September had been considered a possible attempt to disrupt operations. Sinkevicius planned to convene Lithuania’s National Security Commission on 19 October.[1]
