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Bulgaria Issues European Arrest Warrants in Starlink Arson

By Drooid · Oct 20, 2026, 6:08 AM UTC · How we work

Summary

Story summary

Bulgaria’s court issued European arrest warrants for German nationals Tirpan Beytula and Zeka Islam for Starlink antenna arson.
Prosecutors charged the 19-year-old suspects in absentia, saying they set fire to the antennas on Oct. 9.
The blaze destroyed three antennas, partially damaged two, and affected three additional units.
If convicted, each faces three to twelve years in prison.
Polish and Lithuanian officials have linked the recent Starlink arson attacks to Russia.

History

Historical Context

The 27 April 2007 DDoS assault on Estonia’s banks, parliament and media—sparked by the Bronze Soldier dispute—disabled thousands of sites and led NATO to establish the Cooperative Cyber Defence Centre of Excellence in Tallinn. That episode shaped EU policy, so today Bulgaria’s courts issue European arrest warrants for German suspects accused of sabotaging Starlink antennas, reflecting a coordinated legal response to infrastructure attacks.

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Story summary

Bulgaria’s court issued European arrest warrants for German nationals Tirpan Beytula and Zeka Islam for Starlink antenna arson.
Prosecutors charged the 19-year-old suspects in absentia, saying they set fire to the antennas on Oct. 9.
The blaze destroyed three antennas, partially damaged two, and affected three additional units.
If convicted, each faces three to twelve years in prison.
Polish and Lithuanian officials have linked the recent Starlink arson attacks to Russia.

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