A Fire Broke Out At A Starlink Ground Station In Poland

• 24.09.2026, 11:47

Authorities suspect arson.

On the evening of September 23, a fire broke out at a Starlink satellite ground station located in the Polish village of Wola Krobowska in the Masovian Voivodeship.

This was reported by RMF24 citing information from Polish authorities.

It is noted that on the evening of September 23, the owner of the property where the communications infrastructure is located called emergency services and reported that the antennas were on fire.

A power generator was also damaged. Firefighters arrived at the scene and managed to extinguish the fire.

Preliminary findings by the authorities indicate that the substation was likely set on fire. A second possibility being considered is a short circuit in the electrical system.

According to Poland’s Minister of Digital Affairs Krzysztof Hawkowski, there are strong indications that this fire was a deliberate attempt to disrupt the station’s operations.

“The station is operated by Exatel—a state-owned telecommunications operator that plays a key role in ensuring internet security and providing internet access, including to Ukraine,” he said.

The Polish minister explained that any disruptions in the operation of such stations would lead to disruptions in the provision of internet services and, as a result, also in the operation of, among other things, ATMs.
“Sometimes we don’t realize that it is precisely this type of telecommunications relay station that determines whether we will even have access to the internet in a particular part of Poland or Europe, including Ukraine,” added Gawkowski.

This ground station, together with a similar station near Kaunas, Lithuania, provides Internet access to a significant portion of Central and Eastern Europe.