Fire at Polish Starlink station that serves Ukraine probed as possible sabotage
A fire broke out on the evening of 23 September at a Starlink ground communications station in the Polish village of Wola Krobowska, Masovian Voivodeship, damaging antennas and a power generator. Polish authorities suspect the blaze was deliberate, and senior officials have publicly described the incident as sabotage and an element of hybrid warfare. The station, operated by state-owned operator Exatel, provides internet access across much of Central and Eastern Europe, including for the Ukrainian military, but has since resumed normal operation.
Key points
- Fire broke out on the evening of 23 September at the Starlink ground station in Wola Krobowska, Masovian Voivodeship, Poland
- Antennas, an electrical cabinet and a power generator were damaged; no casualties reported
- The station is operated by Exatel, a Polish state-owned telecommunications operator
- Polish authorities suspect deliberate arson; a short circuit in the electrical system is also being considered
- Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said the fire appeared aimed at cutting internet access for institutions including the Ukrainian military
- Prime Minister Donald Tusk described the incident as an element of hybrid warfare, while noting Russia's involvement has not been established
- The station, together with a similar facility near Kaunas, Lithuania, serves a significant part of Central and Eastern Europe
- Service has been restored and systems are operating normally
- Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW) and police are investigating
Why it matters
The Wola Krobowska station is part of the infrastructure that provides satellite internet access to a significant portion of Central and Eastern Europe, and Polish officials have pointed specifically to the Ukrainian military among the users. Even though service has been restored, Poland's interior minister, prime minister and digital affairs minister have all publicly described the incident as a probable act of sabotage and an element of hybrid warfare. The episode focuses attention on the vulnerability of critical communications infrastructure that supports Ukraine, and on how physical attacks on ground stations complement other forms of pressure on Ukraine's connectivity.
What happened
On the evening of 23 September, a fire broke out at a Starlink ground satellite communications station in the village of Wola Krobowska in Poland's Masovian Voivodeship. The blaze damaged the station's antennas, electrical cabinet and power generator, and was reported to emergency services by the landowner after 21:00. Three fire crews from the Grójec State Fire Service responded and extinguished the fire; no injuries were reported.
Polish investigators are considering two possible causes: deliberate arson, with the electrical distribution box as the likely point of ignition, and a short circuit in the electrical system. Poland's Internal Security Agency (ABW), the Central Police Investigation Bureau and provincial police have been notified and are investigating.
Deputy Prime Minister and Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Gawkowski said there are strong indications the fire was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the station's operation and described it as sabotage aimed at disabling the station and cutting internet access for various institutions, including the Ukrainian Armed Forces. Prime Minister Donald Tusk said the equipment is currently functioning properly but described the incident as an element of hybrid warfare, noting that while Russian responsibility has not been established, many signs point to it aligning with a new Russian attack doctrine. Gawkowski separately warned that future shutdowns of such stations could disrupt internet services and even affect the operation of ATMs in Poland. The station has since resumed normal operation and no internet outages were reported.
How Ukrainian sources describe it
All of the supplied sources are Ukrainian-language media, and they uniformly frame the incident as sabotage (диверсія/саботаж) intended to cut off internet access for Ukraine and the Ukrainian military. Ukrainian coverage foregrounds the connection to the Ukrainian Armed Forces and the threat to Ukrainian communications, often in the headline itself, and treats the Polish government's characterisation of the incident as hybrid warfare as a confirmation that an attack on infrastructure serving Ukraine has taken place.
Background
The Starlink ground station at Wola Krobowska is operated by Exatel, a Polish state-owned telecommunications operator, and works in tandem with a similar station near Kaunas, Lithuania. Between 2022 and 2024, Poland reportedly invested around 323 million zloty (over $86 million) in purchasing Starlink terminals for Ukraine, and the Wola Krobowska station has been operating since at least 2022.