Prime Minister Rumen Radev of Bulgaria confirmed on Wednesday that a fire had occurred at a facility belonging to the Starlink satellite internet service near the capital, Sofia, last week.
Bulgarian media later reported, citing investigators, that two young men holding German passports had been taken into custody in connection with the suspected attack.
The satellite network is a crucial component of Ukraine's defense strategy in the ongoing war against Russia's invasion.
The fire was initially brought to public attention by the pro-Western opposition alliance, Democratic Bulgaria (DB). Radev stated that he would not disclose further details due to the ongoing investigations.
According to DB, 11 out of 17 antennas at a Starlink facility near Sofia were intentionally set ablaze on October 9. DB indicated that these antennas were utilized in the war in Ukraine.
Pro-Western opposition parties have suggested a potential Russian connection to the attack.
Two German passport holders in custody
Several Bulgarian media outlets reported on Wednesday evening, citing investigators, that two men, aged 20 and 21, both possessing German passports, were detained in Bulgaria on Monday in connection with the suspected attack.
Faktor.bg reported that the suspects have migrant backgrounds and had legally entered Bulgaria from Greece via the Kulata border crossing.
The website indicated that investigators are examining whether the suspects are part of a larger sabotage network, potentially linked to two men arrested in Germany earlier this week for a recent attack on a Starlink facility in Poland.
Sabotage suspected
Bulgarian officials emphasized that the Starlink facility near Sofia is privately owned.
Bulgarian Interior Minister Ivan Demerdzhiev informed parliament that enhanced security measures have been implemented at similar facilities, despite the owners being responsible for their protection.
Plamen Tonchev, the head of Bulgaria's State Agency for National Security (DANS), expressed his belief that the fire at the Starlink facility was an act of sabotage.
"Such acts of sabotage cannot be ruled out in the future either," he warned lawmakers.
A fire also occurred at a Starlink ground terminal south of Warsaw on September 23.
Two suspected saboteurs accused of carrying out that attack in Poland were arrested on Tuesday in Nürtingen, near Stuttgart in southwestern Germany.
The government in Warsaw suspects Russian intelligence services were behind the attack.
