The fire at a Starlink ground station near Warsaw on Wednesday night was an act of sabotage and part of hybrid warfare against Poland, Digital Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said Thursday morning.
“[This was] sabotage and an attempt to disrupt the operation of a vital station that is crucial for the security and continuity of internet services in Ukraine,” Gawkowski told state broadcaster TVP Info, stopping short of blaming Russia for the incident directly.
“It’s about actions aimed at shutting down the internet and disrupting the functioning of basic services. These may concern the supply of water, gas or electricity, as well as the financial system,” Gawkowski added.
The fire broke out in the village of Wola Krobowska, 50 kilometers south of Warsaw. It didn’t cause significant damage and there were no injuries. Poland’s counterintelligence agency, ABW, and the police are investigating the incident.
Operated by the state-owned telecoms company Exatel, the station links Starlink satellites to terrestrial internet networks. Together with a station in Kaunas, Lithuania, it serves Central European users as well as Ukraine, Polish media reported.
The minister has previously warned that Poland faces some 2,000–3,000 cyberattacks on its infrastructure daily.
Prime Minister Donald Tusk warned last week that NATO, Ukrainian and Polish intelligence assessments point to Russian plans to step up hybrid attacks on countries supporting Kyiv, including Poland, in the coming months.
Tusk also said Moscow would mask such strikes as accidents to undermine NATO’s willingness to respond collectively.
Foreign Minister Radosław Sikorski urged Moscow to end the war at the U.N. Security Council Wednesday, citing the West’s economic superiority over Russia.
“You can still kill a lot of people, but you cannot win. You can stop this imperial war of choice at any time,” Sikorski said.