Poland is investigating a fire at a Starlink ground station near Warsaw after officials said the incident may have been a deliberate attempt to disrupt critical telecommunications infrastructure.
The fire broke out late Wednesday in Wola Krobowska, in Poland’s Masovian Voivodeship. The facility is operated by state-owned telecommunications company Exatel and helps transmit internet traffic across Central and Eastern Europe, including to Ukraine.
Firefighters said the blaze affected a power distribution unit and a generator. Police, Poland’s Internal Security Agency and the Central Police Investigation Bureau were subsequently involved in the investigation. No one was injured.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said there were strong indications that the fire was deliberate and described it as a possible attempt to disrupt the station. He also said the suspected method of attack appeared consistent with what Poland considers Russian hybrid warfare. However, the investigation is still underway, and a short circuit has not been ruled out as an alternative explanation.
The incident comes amid growing concern among European governments over suspected Russian sabotage and other forms of hybrid activity.
Denmark Expects More Hybrid Attacks
Denmark’s defence intelligence service said on Thursday that it expects Russia to intensify its hybrid warfare campaign against Western countries and NATO in the coming months. The agency warned of a “low but growing risk” of a limited Russian military attack against one or more NATO countries bordering Russia, although it described such an attack as highly unlikely.
The Danish assessment said future hybrid attacks could involve isolated strikes against infrastructure supporting Ukraine. This, as well as possible false-flag operations. Other European governments have issued similar warnings. France has announced plans to strengthen protection for critical infrastructure following what it described as intensifying Russian hybrid threats. Germany has also blamed Moscow for an attempted drone attack at Leipzig/Halle Airport, allegations Russia has rejected.
Poland also reported that a Russian military helicopter briefly entered its airspace on Wednesday, prompting Polish fighter jets to respond.
The Starlink station remained operational after the fire, according to Polish officials. Investigators are continuing to determine whether the incident was an accident or an act of sabotage.
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