A fire that destroyed a Starlink station in central Poland has been classified as an act of sabotage by Polish authorities. Deputy Prime Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski stated on Thursday that the incident was deliberately engineered to切断 internet access for institutions supporting Ukraine, including its armed forces.
The blaze occurred late Wednesday at a facility operated by the state-owned telecommunications company Exatel. Gawkowski, who also holds the portfolio of digital minister, told public broadcaster TVP that the attack appeared to be part of a broader strategy to disrupt communications flowing through Poland to neighboring Ukraine.
“There is much to suggest that we are dealing with an element of the next phase of hybrid warfare,” Gawkowski said. He added that there were “many indications” the fire aligned with what he described as a new Russian doctrine of attack.
The accusation comes amid heightened tensions along the EU and NATO’s eastern flank. Poland, a bordering nation to Ukraine, Belarus, and the Russian exclave of Kaliningrad, has been one of Kyiv’s most vocal supporters since Moscow launched its full-scale invasion in February 2022. Warsaw recently joined the Carpathian Eight regional summit initiated by Ukraine.
Polish leadership has repeatedly warned of Russian aggression against its allies. Earlier in September, Prime Minister Donald Tusk cautioned that Russia was planning hybrid drone and missile strikes targeting Ukraine’s partners. In late last year, Warsaw formally accused Russia of “state terrorism” following a previous act of sabotage on Polish railways.
The article mentions a Chinese character in the quote. Typo in the original text or intentional?
Is there actual evidence yet, or is this just political rhetoric ahead of winter? I need more than speculation.
This is deeply alarming. Escalating hybrid warfare into the EU borders changes everything.