Bulgarian court issues European arrest warrant for two Germans over Starlink antenna arson
A court in Sofia approved a European arrest warrant for two German nationals accused of setting fire to SpaceX Starlink antennas at the Plana Teleport facility.
A Sofia court has authorized a European arrest warrant for two German citizens alleged to have sabotaged SpaceX Starlink terminals at the Plana Teleport site south of the capital. According to prosecutors, the men crossed into Bulgaria from Serbia on October 9, remained in the country for a few hours, and then fled back to Serbia after the arson. The damaged antennas are part of a network heavily relied upon by Ukraine for military communications and drone guidance.
Conviction could bring sentences ranging from three to twelve years in prison. The ruling is subject to appeal within three days, and the case adds to a series of similar incidents blamed on Russian-linked sabotage, which Moscow denies.
Why it matters
The case highlights security risks to critical communications infrastructure used in the Ukraine conflict.
How this story developed
- Oct 14 SpaceX throttles Starlink in Ukraine, hampering drone strike operations
- Oct 14 SpaceX introduced a speed‑based limitation on Starlink terminals when they are moving.
- Oct 15 Speed limit was partially removed, allowing terminals to operate at speeds up to 160 km/h.
- Oct 15 Starshield service restored to normal operation after earlier speed caps.
- Oct 15 Ukrainian defence units say Starshield terminals used for high-speed movement are back online and their performance is gradually improving.
- Oct 15 Ukrainian defence sources said communications were restored but did not confirm that all terminals are fully operational.
- Oct 16 US-imposed speed limits on Starshield reduced bandwidth for Ukrainian frontline units.
- Oct 17 Starlink service was restored following talks between the UK and US defence secretaries.
- Oct 18 Rep. Mike Turner formally requested a congressional investigation into the Starlink slowdown.
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