Starlink station serving Ukraine catches fire in Poland

A fire broke out overnight at a Starlink satellite communications ground station in Poland’s Mazovia region that provides internet connectivity to Central and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine.

According to RMF24, the incident occurred at a site housing telecommunications infrastructure.

The owner of the site called emergency services after noticing a fire around the antennas. An electric generator was also damaged. Firefighters arrived and extinguished the blaze.

Initial findings suggest the distribution board may have been deliberately set on fire, although a short circuit has also been considered as a possible cause.

Police were called to the scene, and the incident was reported to Poland’s Internal Security Agency and the Central Police Investigation Bureau.

Polish Digitalization Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski said there were several indications that the fire may have been a deliberate attempt to disrupt the station’s operations.

The station is operated by Exatel, a state-owned telecommunications company that provides secure internet access, including to Ukraine.

Image: Andrew Kravchenko/Bloomberg