WARSAW, POLAND — Polish authorities are investigating a fire at a Starlink satellite communications ground station in Wola Krobowska, about 40 kilometers south of Warsaw, after indications emerged that the fire may have been deliberately started.
Fire damages power equipment
The fire broke out shortly after 9 p.m. on September 23. The property owner reported that antennas were on fire. Firefighters from the Grójec district received the alert at about 21:07 and sent three units to the site.
Firefighters found flames involving the housing of a power distribution box covering about three square meters. The fire was extinguished with one stream of water, and firefighting operations ended at about 3:19 a.m. No injuries were reported.
The fire damaged the power distribution unit connected to the antennas and a power generator.
Possible arson under investigation
Preliminary information indicated that the distribution unit may have been deliberately set on fire. An unofficial report said a bottle containing a flammable substance was found near the damaged equipment.
However, investigators are also examining the possibility of an electrical short circuit. Lightning was ruled out based on the weather conditions at the time.
Poland’s Deputy Prime Minister and Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said there were strong indications that the fire was an act of arson intended to disrupt the station and internet access for institutions, including the Ukrainian military.
Gawkowski said the method was consistent with a pattern associated with Russian services, but responsibility has not been confirmed.
Security agencies join investigation
Police took control of the site, while Poland’s Internal Security Agency (ABW) and Central Bureau of Investigation (CBŚP) were notified and became involved.
The District Prosecutor’s Office in Grójec has opened an investigation. Authorities are reviewing monitoring footage and securing other evidence while considering sabotage among the possible causes.
Role of the Starlink station
The Wola Krobowska facility is part of the ground infrastructure connecting Starlink’s satellite network with terrestrial systems. Together with a similar facility near Kaunas, Lithuania, it supports connectivity across Central and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine.
The site contains around a dozen white spherical antennas, each about two meters in diameter, and is surrounded by a metal fence. The connectivity is used by Ukrainian military and critical institutions.
Exatel, Poland’s state-owned telecommunications company, is associated with the location. Exatel said it leases the land and provides data-transmission services there but does not own or operate the satellite infrastructure.
The company said none of its equipment was damaged and its network services were not affected.
Station returns to operation
The station has since returned to full operation, and authorities have not reported a major regional internet outage.
The investigation remains ongoing as authorities determine whether the fire was caused by deliberate arson, an electrical failure, or another factor. No perpetrator or foreign government has been officially identified.
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