Lithuanian Foreign Minister: Starlink Arson Attempt in Vilnius Is Part of Russian Hybrid Campaign
Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said on Monday that an attempt to set fire to Starlink satellite internet equipment in Vilnius is part of Russian operations against European countries. He met members of the German Bundestag's ruling coalition and also discussed defence cooperation.
An attempt to set fire to equipment of the Starlink satellite internet system in Vilnius, the capital of Lithuania, is part of Russian operations against European countries, Lithuanian Foreign Minister Kęstutis Budrys said on Monday. He spoke while meeting lawmakers from the ruling coalition in Germany's Bundestag, the national parliament.
Overnight into Sunday, an attempt was made in Vilnius to set fire to a warehouse belonging to the US company SpaceX, located on the grounds of the data centre operator Delska. The warehouse held Starlink equipment.
The minister's assessment
Budrys said he sees coordinated actions aimed at critical infrastructure linked to support for Ukraine, logistics chains and other important facilities. In his words, these are not isolated crimes but part of a broader Russian hybrid campaign against Europe. He said its aims are to intimidate allies, weaken support for Ukraine and test European resilience.
The minister argued that the response should include closer cooperation among allies, heightened vigilance and stronger support for Ukraine.
Meeting with German lawmakers
In Vilnius, Budrys met Torsten Frei, chair of the parliamentary group of the Christian Democrats and Christian Social Union, and Matthias Miersch, chair of the Social Democrat group. The talks covered Lithuanian-German defence cooperation. Budrys noted that strengthening European security, defence and resilience will be among the main priorities of Lithuania's presidency of the Council of the European Union in 2027.
The politicians also discussed the deployment of Germany's 45th Armoured Brigade in Lithuania. According to the minister, infrastructure projects are on schedule, and the goal is to have the brigade fully established by the end of 2027. German language learning is being promoted and conditions for the integration of German soldiers and their families are being improved, including by expanding the German school in Vilnius. About 2,000 German soldiers currently serve in Lithuania.
The meeting also addressed possibilities for expanding cooperation in defence, investment, innovation and advanced technologies, as well as upcoming bilateral projects.
