Starlink gateway antennas set on fire at Plana teleport near Sofia

At about 22:25 on 9 October 2026 masked men set fire to Starlink gateway antennas at the Plana teleport south of Sofia. Opposition MP Ivaylo Mirchev made the attack public on 12 October. The charge cites three antennas burned out, two partly burned and three otherwise affected; Mirchev had spoken of 11 of 17. On 14 October the Sofia City Prosecutor's Office charged two 19-year-old German citizens in absentia. Prosecutors say the two entered Bulgaria from Serbia at the Kalotina checkpoint at 17:37 that day, posing as tourists, and left towards Serbia at 23:55. On 19 October 2026 the Sofia City Court approved European arrest warrants. German authorities say they do not know where the suspects are.

Established by. Sofia City Prosecutor's Office (via BTA, 19 Oct 2026): two German citizens charged in absentia on 14 Oct for setting fire to the antennas; they face 3 to 12 years in prison if convicted. Sofia City Court (19 Oct 2026) approved the European arrest warrants. PM Rumen Radev told parliament on 14 Oct that the investigation is 'extremely intensive' (AFP). Neither the charge nor any official statement links the attack to Russia or to the Polish and Lithuanian cases.

Latest. The 19 Oct ruling can be appealed within three days, and defence lawyers said they would appeal (BTA). As of 20 Oct 2026 the suspects remain at large, and Bulgaria has made no public attribution.

Link to the war against Ukraine. Starlink gateway antennas of this type carry the satellite connectivity Ukraine relies on for battlefield communications. Officials have not said whether this site served Ukraine.