Lithuania Blames Russia-Linked Sabotage for Starlink Arson Attempt

Lithuania suspects Russia was behind a failed attempt to burn a company's stored Starlink equipment, Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius said Sunday.

• 2 a.m.: approximate time attackers tried to burn antennas and a control unit.
• 3 to 10 liters: capacity of containers found at the site.
• Authorities had warned the company, which had already increased security.
• Sinkevičius said the Russian side likely commissioned the attack.

Why it matters: Starlink has carried Ukrainian military communications, reconnaissance and drone operations since Russia's full-scale invasion in February 2022.

• Sinkevičius said similar sabotage attempts are recurring across Europe.
• Ukrainian officials reported Starlink restrictions this week that disrupted some military operations.

How 3 sources split on this story

What’s next: Lithuanian investigators will look into who ordered the attempt and who carried it out.

• Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy suggested this week's Starlink disruption was deliberate. The White House and Secretary of State Marco Rubio denied that.
• What evidence links the attempt to Russia beyond the pattern Sinkevičius cited?
• Is the Lithuanian company's Starlink equipment connected to supplies for Ukraine?
• Is the arson attempt linked to this week's Starlink restrictions in Ukraine?