Fire at Polish Starlink ground station investigated as suspected sabotage; site serves Ukraine

Why it matters

The Wola Krobowska station is a ground link through which Starlink connectivity reaches Ukraine, including the Ukrainian military on the frontline. Polish officials publicly characterized the fire as a likely deliberate act of sabotage and an element of hybrid warfare, and linked it to a broader pattern of Russian operations against European infrastructure. Although service was quickly restored, a successful disabling of the node would have regional consequences: it serves a significant part of Central and Eastern Europe, and Poland has been a major financial backer of Starlink access for Ukraine, investing roughly 323 million zloty (over $86 million) in 2022–2024.

What happened

A fire broke out late on the evening of 23 September at the Starlink ground satellite communications station in Wola Krobowska, Masovian (Mazowieckie) Voivodeship, Poland. The landowner called emergency services after noticing the antennas on fire; the State Fire Service in Grójec received the report after 21:00 and dispatched three crews. Firefighters extinguished the blaze, which damaged the site's antennas and an electrical cabinet/power generator. No casualties were reported.

The station is operated by Exatel, a Polish state-owned telecommunications operator, and, together with a similar station near Kaunas, Lithuania, provides internet access to a significant part of Central and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine and the Ukrainian armed forces. After the fire, the station temporarily stopped working but has since resumed operations; officials said systems are currently functioning normally and no internet outages have been reported.

Polish preliminary findings consider two possible causes: deliberate arson of an electrical distribution box and a short circuit in the electrical system. Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski said there are strong indications the fire was a deliberate attempt to disable the station and cut off internet for various institutions, including the Ukrainian military. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the equipment is working properly but described the incident as an element of hybrid warfare. Interior Minister Marcin Kierwiński said the circumstances would be thoroughly investigated. Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) and police, including the Central Police Investigation Bureau, have been notified and are investigating; officers and ABW agents were on the scene immediately after firefighters arrived.

How Ukrainian sources describe it

All of the supplied sources are Ukrainian-language media outlets, and they uniformly frame the incident through its impact on Ukraine. The reporting leads with the fact that the burned station 'provided internet for Ukraine' and that the apparent goal of the suspected sabotage was to cut off Ukrainian military internet access on the frontline. Polish officials' statements — that the fire looks like a deliberate act of sabotage and an element of hybrid warfare — are treated by Ukrainian outlets as authoritative confirmation of a hostile act against Ukraine's connectivity. Ukrainian coverage also foregrounds Poland's role as a major backer of Starlink access for Ukraine, citing the roughly 323 million zloty (over $86 million) Warsaw invested in Starlink terminals in 2022–2024.

Where reporting differs

Two points of disagreement appear across the reporting. First, the cause of the fire has not been settled: Polish preliminary findings consider both deliberate arson of an electrical distribution box and a short circuit in the electrical system as possible causes, and no determination has been announced. Second, the spelling of the Polish Minister of Digital Affairs' surname varies between Ukrainian-language reports: most render it as 'Gawkowski', while one renders it as 'Hawkowski'. Both refer to the same office holder, Krzysztof Gawkowski.

Background

The Starlink ground station in Wola Krobowska has been operating since at least 2022 and became one of the ground nodes through which Starlink connectivity reached Ukraine after the start of the full-scale war. It is operated by Exatel, a Polish state-owned telecoms operator, and works in tandem with a similar station near Kaunas, Lithuania. According to Minister Gawkowski, the privately owned site had only video surveillance installed, with no physical security present. Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) and Central Police Investigation Bureau have been notified and are involved in the investigation. Between 2022 and 2024, Poland invested approximately 323 million zloty (over $86 million) in purchasing Starlink terminals for Ukraine to support connectivity on the frontline and in the civilian sector.