Starlink Antennas Set on Fire in Bulgaria Near Sofia
Eleven Starlink satellite internet antennas were set on fire at a site about 40 kilometres from Sofia, Bulgaria. The head of the country's security agency called it sabotage and warned that similar acts cannot be ruled out.
Antennas of the Starlink satellite communications system have been set on fire in Bulgaria, near the village of Plana, roughly 40 kilometres from the capital Sofia, officials confirmed on Wednesday. Starlink is a satellite internet service run by the US company SpaceX, and it is also used in Ukraine during the war, which is why attacks on its infrastructure in Europe draw particular attention.
Plamen Tonchev, head of Bulgaria's State National Security Agency (DANS), told parliament that the fire was an act of sabotage. He warned lawmakers that similar incidents cannot be ruled out in the future.
What is known about the incident
Ivaylo Mirchev, a member of parliament for the opposition party Democratic Bulgaria, was the first to report the incident, on the evening of 12 October. According to him, two masked men set fire to 11 of the 17 Starlink antennas at the site. The arson took place on 9 October.
Democratic Bulgaria said the antennas provided the main connection to the SpaceX network and were used in the war in Ukraine. Speaking in parliament on Wednesday, Mirchev suggested Russia could be behind the incident. The source does not name any officially confirmed perpetrator.
Similar cases in Europe
The Bulgarian incident is not the first in recent weeks. At the end of September a Starlink site was set on fire in Poland. Warsaw later stated that Russian special services were undoubtedly responsible for that sabotage. On 12 October, two Turkish citizens were detained in Germany who are believed to be linked to the incident in Poland.
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