Ukraine warns NATO and EU of Russian sabotage targeting Starlink ground stations
Ukrainian military intelligence alerted NATO and EU allies that Russian GRU and FSB networks plan sabotage against critical infrastructure, following an arson attack on a Polish Starlink ground station.
Intelligence warning to Western allies
Ukrainian military intelligence issued an official warning on 2 October 2026 alerting NATO and European Union member states to planned Russian hybrid and sabotage operations across Europe. According to the intelligence service, Moscow intends to deploy operatives recruited across European countries by the Main Directorate of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation (GRU) and the Federal Security Service (FSB). The stated primary objective of these hostile actions is to weaken Western defense capabilities and deter allied governments from maintaining military assistance packages for Kyiv. The intelligence agency specified that Russian special services are focusing their preparations on military facilities, communication networks, and critical national infrastructure. Ground-based receiver stations for the Starlink satellite internet network in European countries were identified as primary targets.
Special services of the aggressor state, Russia, were tasked with intensifying activity on the territory of European Union and NATO countries. This involves preparations for hybrid operations aimed at undermining aid for Ukraine and weakening the capabilities of the Alliance.
Suspected sabotage at Polish Starlink hub
The intelligence advisory followed a suspected sabotage incident at a telecommunications facility in Poland. On the evening of Wednesday, 23 September 2026, a fire broke out at a ground base station for the Starlink satellite communication network located in Wola Krobowska, within Grójec County in the Mazovia region. Three fire service crews deployed to extinguish the blaze, which damaged the casing of an electrical power supply box and an auxiliary power generator. Initial assessments noted the possibility of an electrical short circuit, but subsequent inquiries pointed to deliberate arson. The Wola Krobowska facility, operated by state-owned telecommunications enterprise Exatel, works alongside a similar installation near Kaunas in Lithuania to distribute satellite connectivity across Central and Eastern Europe, including Ukraine. Polish authorities mobilized both the Internal Security Agency (ABW) and the Central Investigation Bureau of Police (CBŚP) to examine the scene.
- Latvian military debunks fabricated Euronews video targeting the Baltic Trust 26 exercise
- Fire damages electrical equipment at a Starlink ground station in Wola Krobowska, Poland
- Polish prosecutors launch a formal sabotage and terrorism probe into the Starlink station fire
- Ukrainian intelligence warns NATO and EU of planned Russian attacks on Starlink stations
Criminal investigation into foreign intelligence involvement
Polish authorities classified the facility fire as an intentional act carried out on behalf of foreign intelligence. On 25 September 2026, the Mazovian branch of the National Prosecutor's Office formally opened an investigation regarding sabotage and terrorism-related offenses. Digital Affairs Minister Krzysztof Gawkowski indicated that the incident represented a deliberate attempt to compromise vital communications infrastructure serving regional security. Interior and Administration Minister Marcin Kierwiński also described the fire as an act of sabotage. National Prosecutor's Office spokesperson Przemysław Nowak detailed the scope of the criminal inquiry.
Moreover, in this case there is a reasonable suspicion that the perpetrators acted on the orders of Russian special services and on behalf of foreign intelligence against the Republic of Poland. The aim of their action was to disrupt internet traffic and connectivity of the Starlink system in Poland and other countries of Central and Eastern Europe.
Disinformation operations across the Baltic states
Security concerns regarding Russian hybrid tactics extended to the Baltic region. The Latvian State Security Service (VDD) issued an alert regarding potential Russian and Belarusian disinformation campaigns and provocations ahead of national voting. Evita Purina, an investigative journalist tracking digital manipulation at Re:Baltica, reported that hostile networks distribute narratives portraying Latvia as a failed state, targeting military readiness and discouraging aid to Ukraine. Disinformation methods include automated artificial intelligence content, labeled by specialists as slopaganda, and forged mainstream news segments. On 14 August 2026, the Latvian military publicly debunked a fabricated video branded with Euronews logos that falsely claimed a Ukrainian soldier killed three NATO troops during the Baltic Trust 26 exercise.
