{
  "id": 14487810,
  "title": "Masked intruders set fire to 11 Starlink antennas in Bulgaria",
  "url": "https://urgent.news/2026/10/14/masked-intruders-set-fire-to-11-starlink-antennas-in-bulgaria",
  "topic": "world",
  "section": "World",
  "published": "2026-10-14T16:35:57.000Z",
  "source": {
    "name": "Meduza (English)",
    "slug": "meduza-english",
    "url": "https://meduza.io/en/news/2026/10/14/masked-intruders-set-fire-to-11-starlink-antennas-in-bulgaria"
  },
  "original_language": "en",
  "account": "Two masked intruders broke into a communications facility near Sofia, Bulgaria, and set fire to 11 out of 17 antennas used for communication with Starlink satellites, according to Bulgarian National Television. The fire occurred 20 kilometers from Sofia, as determined from satellite images. Bulgarian lawmaker Ivaylo Mirchev reported the incident, sharing a video of the fire and mentioning a similar event in Poland in September. Mirchev stated that Polish authorities are certain Russia is responsible for these acts of sabotage. He emphasized that the targeted antennas were crucial for maintaining a connection to the satellites. The damaged antennas were reportedly essential for providing communications to Ukraine's armed forces, though confirmation of this use has not been released. On October 14, Ukraine's armed forces confirmed that SpaceX had limited Starlink satellite communications for the military version of the service, Starshield. This restriction impacted drone operators, causing some drones to lose connection mid-flight and disrupting certain operations.",
  "summary": "Two masked intruders broke into a communications facility near Sofia, Bulgaria, and set fire to 11 of its 17 antennas used to communicate with Starlink satellites, Bulgarian National Television reported.",
  "key_points": [
    "Masked intruders set fire to 11 Starlink antennas in Bulgaria.",
    "Fire occurred 20 km from Sofia, determined from satellite images.",
    "Antennas crucial for Ukraine's armed forces communication."
  ],
  "editors_take": null,
  "illustration": null,
  "coverage": {
    "outlets": 1,
    "also_reported_by": []
  },
  "ai_generated": true,
  "disclaimer": "Summaries, key points and the editor’s take are written by software from other outlets’ reporting and may contain errors — always check the linked original."
}