Poland Says Fire at Starlink Station is Sabotage as Denmark Warns of Rising Russian Threat
Poland Says Fire at Starlink Station is Sabotage as Denmark Warns of Rising Russian Threat
A fire at a Starlink satellite station in central Poland was a deliberate “act of sabotage”, according to a government minister. Polish Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski stated that the fire in the Masovian Voivodeship province was “deliberately designed to disable the station… disrupting internet access for various institutions, including the Ukrainian army”. An investigation is ongoing, but “many indications suggest” the attack aligns with a “new Russian doctrine of attack”. The Kremlin has not commented on the incident.
The fire at the state-owned Polish satellite station broke out on Wednesday night in Wola Krobowska. The deputy prime minister added that it transmits internet traffic through Poland to countries including Ukraine, utilizing SpaceX systems that provide connectivity via Starlink terminals. Polish Prime Minister Donald Tusk expressed caution, stating he disliked “labelling something as sabotage versus an accident without 100% certainty, but it looks bad”.
Meanwhile, Denmark’s intelligence service has issued a new threat assessment, indicating that it expects Russia to escalate hybrid warfare in the coming months. While an attack remains “highly unlikely”, there is a “low but growing risk” that Russia could launch a limited military attack against NATO countries. Recently, several European NATO members have suggested that Russia may be preparing attacks to test their commitment to supporting Ukraine, a claim Moscow denies.
Hybrid warfare or hybrid attacks refer to non-military methods designed to exert pressure and destabilize an adversary, such as cyberattacks, sabotage, or misinformation. Proxies are often used to carry out these attacks, and Russia consistently denies involvement, despite growing evidence to the contrary.
Earlier this month, Germany blamed Russia for an attempted drone attack on Leipzig/Halle Airport, while France has ordered a plan to protect critical infrastructure and defense industry sites. Additionally, Moldova’s president reported that four Russian drones crossed into its airspace, with at least one exploding, and Romania’s defense ministry confirmed that one drone crashed on its territory. On Wednesday, Poland also reported that a Russian military helicopter briefly violated its airspace, prompting the scramble of fighter jets.