The blaze broke out late on Wednesday at the facility in Wola Krobowska, in the Grójec district of the Mazowieckie region. Firefighters extinguished the flames and no injuries were reported. Gawkowski said the station’s systems were operational again on Thursday.
Gawkowski told TVP Info that the fire affected power infrastructure and a generator at the site. He said investigators were examining sabotage as a possible cause and described the station as an important internet hub serving Poland and Ukraine.
He said the operator of the facility was Exatel, Poland’s state-controlled telecommunications company, which provides network infrastructure and data transmission services. According to Gawkowski, the site supports internet traffic routed through Poland, including connections used in Ukraine.
Polish authorities had not established who was responsible for the fire as of Thursday morning. Gawkowski said there were signs that the incident could fit a pattern of hostile hybrid activity, but he stopped short of attributing responsibility to Russia.
Jacek Dobrzyński, spokesman for the minister coordinating Poland’s special services, said officers from the Internal Security Agency, known as the ABW, were at the scene and were examining the information collected so far. He said several possible explanations remained under consideration and that it was too early to give details.
The Central Bureau of Police Investigation was also notified about the incident. Police and other security personnel attended the site after emergency services were called.
Michał Maroszek, a spokesman for the district headquarters of the State Fire Service in Grójec, said three fire crews were dispatched to Wola Krobowska. The fire was brought under control and firefighters then secured and illuminated the scene for investigators.
Emergency services received the call shortly after 9 pm on Wednesday. The owner of the property where communications equipment is installed reported a fire affecting the antenna installation. Initial accounts indicated that a power distribution unit and a generator were damaged.
Investigators have not publicly confirmed arson. Early assessments cited by officials and emergency personnel included the possibility that the fire had been started deliberately, while other reporting said an electrical fault was also among the scenarios being examined.
Gawkowski said an attempt to disable such infrastructure could disrupt internet availability beyond the immediate site. He said outages at comparable stations could affect services used by institutions and potentially interrupt connectivity supporting Ukraine, including military communications.
Starlink, operated by Elon Musk’s SpaceX, uses a large constellation of low-Earth-orbit satellites linked to ground infrastructure and user terminals. The system has become an important communications tool in Ukraine, where it has been used to maintain connectivity during Russia’s war and damage to conventional telecommunications networks.
Poland has provided logistical and communications support to Ukraine since Russia launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022 and has repeatedly warned about sabotage, cyberattacks and other forms of hybrid activity on its territory. Warsaw has said some previous incidents were linked to Russian intelligence interests, allegations Moscow has denied.
The Wola Krobowska station is one of the ground facilities serving Starlink traffic in Central and Eastern Europe. A comparable station near Kaunas in Lithuania also supports regional connectivity, according to information cited by Polish authorities and telecommunications sources.
Gawkowski said the damaged systems had been restored and were functioning on Thursday, limiting the immediate operational impact of the blaze. Authorities did not disclose the cost of the damage or say how long any interruption in service lasted.
Gawkowski said the incident showed why telecommunications facilities can have security consequences. He pointed to dependence on network availability, saying disruption could affect systems such as cash machines as well as institutional communications. His comments underscored the government’s decision to treat the fire as a security matter rather than only a technical accident.
Follow Arabian Post
Select Arabian Post as your preferred source on Google and MSN News for trusted business news and Arab politics and updates.
