Turkish criminal group, backed by Moscow, may be involved in Starlink station arson in Poland
Members of the Turkish criminal group 'Daltonlar' (Daltons) may be involved in the arson of a Starlink satellite communication ground station in Poland's Mazovian Voivodeship. According to sources of the German publication Der Spiegel, they may have carried out a task for Russian special services.
The station in the village of Wola Kroboska caught fire on September 23. Polish authorities called the fire a deliberate act of sabotage and placed responsibility for it on Russia.
On October 12, in the German city of Nürtingen, at Poland's request, two Turkish citizens suspected of involvement in the arson were detained. These are 38-year-old Ümit E. and 34-year-old Müslüm T. According to Der Spiegel, they likely belong to the 'Daltons' group or may have acted on behalf of its supporters.
In the coming days, a court in Stuttgart is to decide whether to extradite the detainees to Poland.
Der Spiegel notes that previously, when organizing acts of sabotage in Europe, Russian special services primarily used so-called lower-level agents — for example, petty criminals who carried out tasks for small sums of money. If the involvement of 'Daltons' supporters in the arson is confirmed, it could indicate a change in the approach of Russian special services.
The 'Daltons' group emerged in 2024. It primarily consists of young people born in 2000 and later. In Turkey, members of the group were linked to the murder of the renowned lawyer Serdar Aktem, who was a member of the Nationalist Movement Party. He was shot dead in his own car in Istanbul.
According to media reports, 'Daltons' members also operated in Germany and other European countries. They were suspected of extorting money for 'protection,' arms trafficking, and contract killings.
In the same year, 2024, the group's leader, Beratcan Gökdemir, was detained in Russia. Turkey demanded his extradition, but Russia did not hand him over. Experts suggested that the Kremlin might have expected to gain something from the 'Daltons' in exchange for protecting their leader. It is currently unknown whether Gökdemir remains in Russia.
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