Russia was most likely behind an attempted arson attack on a Lithuanian company housing Starlink satellite communications equipment, Lithuania’s Prime Minister told public broadcaster LRT on Sunday.
The incident happened at about 2:00 local time on Sunday. Flammable liquids were found at the site, which contains satellite antennas and a control unit, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevicius said.
He said the company has nine satellite antennas used to ensure Starlink connectivity, which “of course helps Ukraine.”
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The location of the company has not been made public.
“It is clear this was an attempted act of sabotage or subversion, as we are seeing similar incidents repeated across Europe,” Sinkevicius said. “It is obvious that this is part of the hybrid war being waged by Russia, involving acts of sabotage.”
He added that more would become clear about who ordered the attack and how it was carried out, but said the instigator had most likely already been identified as Russia.
The case is the latest in a series of attempted arson attacks targeting Starlink-related equipment in Europe.
In September, a satellite station in central Poland linked to the network was set on fire, with Warsaw calling it a deliberate “act of sabotage.”
In Bulgaria, an investigation is under way, according to Prime Minister Roumen Radev, after an opposition lawmaker said telecommunications antennas linked to the Starlink satellite network had been burned there.
Ukraine’s military relies on Starlink communications in its fight against the Russian invasion.
Washington reportedly reduced the speed of the military version of the Starlink network in Ukraine earlier this month, prompting criticism in Europe and Kyiv.
