Lithuania's Prime Minister Mindaugas Sinkevičius has said Russia is likely behind an overnight incident at a company storing Starlink equipment, describing it as an attempted act of sabotage linked to Moscow's hybrid war against European allies of Ukraine.
In a Facebook post, Mr Sinkevičius said: "Just after midnight last night, there was another incident – an attempt was made to set fire to a Lithuanian company where Starlink communications equipment is stored. The authorities had warned the company about possible attacks, security had been stepped up, and the attempt failed."
Incident details and response
Speaking to the public service broadcaster LRT RADIO, the politician said the incident occurred at around 2am local time, with the alleged targets being satellite antennas and a control unit. He added: "Incendiary liquids were found, along with containers ranging in capacity from three to 10 litres. The fact is that this was clearly an attempted act of sabotage or diversion, as we are seeing similar actions repeated across Europe."
In a warning, he said: "It is obvious that [...] this is part of Russia's hybrid war, involving acts of sabotage." He went on to claim: "We will learn more about who ordered it, how everything happened and who was behind it. It is likely that it is already clear who commissioned it – it is the Russian side."
Investigation and next steps
The prime minister has called a National Security Commission meeting for tomorrow to examine the alleged attempted arson. An investigation has been launched into the incident, on which the Lithuanian defence minister, Robertas Kaunas, also commented. She said: "The incident has been brought under control and prevented, but it is also being investigated."
