Key facts
- A fire at a Starlink ground station in Poland on the evening of Sept. 23 is being investigated as potential sabotage.
- Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski suggested Russia could be behind the incident as part of its hybrid warfare.
- The Starlink station in Wola Krobowska, operated by Exatel, serves as an internet hub for traffic to Ukraine.
- Russian strikes on Sept. 23 and 24 hit multiple data centers and internet providers in Kyiv, disrupting service for about 100,000 households.
- Several Ukrainian internet providers reported damage to their core equipment and network nodes.
- Denmark's military intelligence warned of increased Russian hybrid warfare against NATO and Western countries.
Poland is investigating a fire at a Starlink ground station as potential sabotage, with officials suggesting it could be part of Russia's hybrid warfare aimed at disrupting internet access for Ukrainian forces. The incident occurred on the evening of Sept. 23 in Wola Krobowska, Masovian Voivodeship, and the station is operated by state-owned Exatel.
Polish Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski stated there were indications of sabotage and suggested Russia could be behind the incident, though investigations are ongoing. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk commented that the circumstances "do not look good." The disruption could affect the Ukrainian military's communications, particularly the use of Starlink-enabled drones for high-speed, unjammable connections.
This incident follows a significant escalation of Russian attacks on Ukraine's internet infrastructure. Over the past two days, Russian strikes have hit multiple data centers and internet providers in Kyiv, causing service disruptions for approximately 100,000 households. Providers like UTELS, Pavutyna, Crazy Network, and Etherlink reported damage to their core equipment and network nodes, with MiroHost and CityHost reporting the destruction of data center equipment.
Meanwhile, Denmark's military intelligence warned that Russia is likely to intensify its hybrid warfare against NATO and Western countries in the coming months, potentially including destructive cyber operations and sabotage with a risk of casualties. The Danish Defence Intelligence Service also noted a "low but growing risk" of limited military attacks against NATO countries bordering Russia.