Newsletters
A fire broke out overnight at a Starlink satellite communications station in central Poland, the country’s digital affairs minister said Thursday, calling the blaze an act of “sabotage.”
“This act of sabotage was deliberately designed to disable the station ... disrupting internet access for various institutions, including the Ukrainian army,” Krzysztof Gawkowski told Polish public broadcaster TVP Info.
He said the fire broke out late Wednesday but added that the station remained operational.
“There is much to suggest that we are dealing with an element of the next phase of hybrid warfare,” Gawkowski said.
The station, owned by state-owned telecommunications company Exatel, is used to transmit internet traffic through Poland, including to Ukraine, according to the minister.
It is also used by SpaceX systems that provide connectivity through Starlink terminals.
Gawkowski said the investigation into the cause of the fire was ongoing, but added that “many indications suggest that it fits into this new Russian doctrine of attack.”
Poland, a NATO and European Union member state on the alliance’s eastern flank, has accused Russia of “sabotage” on several occasions since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
Poland has become the main hub for transporting Western military and humanitarian support to Kyiv.
Earlier this month, Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned that Russia’s plans in the war against Ukraine include “hybrid” drone and missile strikes against Kyiv’s allies.
Set as preferred source
Set as preferred source
1 min read
1 min read
