Two 19-year-old German citizens wanted over the 9 October fire at Starlink communications equipment near Sofia have been arrested in Duisburg. Bulgarian National Radio reported the arrests on 26 October. Their transfer to Bulgaria is expected, but an extradition decision should not be treated as a completed handover.
European arrest warrants had already been sent to Germany. The Bulgarian investigation concerns eight antennas damaged by the fire: three destroyed, three blackened and two partly burned. The two men face allegations of arson; arrest and charges do not establish their guilt.
The suspects travelled into Bulgaria and left again on the day of the fire. Investigators have been reconstructing that short visit. The available reporting does not establish who may have directed the alleged attack or a proven motive. Claims about a wider operation therefore remain separate from what has been established in this case.
The next significant development will be the German judicial decision on surrender and, if the men are transferred, the continuation of proceedings in Bulgaria. The case also raises a broader question about protecting communications infrastructure: the security of a satellite service depends partly on equipment that remains physically accessible on the ground.
