Starlink sites in Europe face suspected Russian-linked attacks, while Russian satellites approach Ukrainian-supporting satellites, highlighting growing space tensions.
Starlink sites attacked in Europe
In recent weeks, three Starlink sites in Europe have been attacked or targeted. On September 23, a fire was set at a Starlink station in Wola Krobowska, near Warsaw. The incident is suspected to involve members of a Turkish criminal gang linked to Russian intelligence. Two days later, masked individuals allegedly attacked a Starlink site in Plana, Bulgaria, setting fire to eight antennas. A European arrest warrant was issued for two German nationals. A third attack occurred in Lithuania, where a failed attempt to set fire to Starlink equipment took place.Poland funds Starlink for Ukraine
The Wola Krobowska station, which was attacked, is operated by Poland’s Exatel and provides internet to Ukraine. Since 2022, Poland has spent over 480 million zlotys on Starlink equipment and subscriptions for Ukraine. This service is crucial for Ukrainian defense, enabling communication between military units and coordination on the front lines. Ukraine also benefits from American satellite intelligence systems like SBIRS, which detect missile launches and track cruise missiles that evade ground radar.Russian satellite nears Finnish radar satellite
A Russian satellite, Kosmos 2612, came within 200 meters of ICEYE-X36, a Finnish radar satellite used by Ukraine. The Russian satellite performed suspicious maneuvers in late September, moving to the same orbit as ICEYE-X36. It then shifted to a higher orbit, raising concerns about its purpose. ICEYE-X36 provides critical imagery to Ukrainian forces, and the company has expanded Kyiv’s access to its satellite data since 2022.Russia's space activities under scrutiny
Experts speculate that Kosmos 2612 may have collected data on ICEYE-X36 or transported a weapon. Some suggest Russia may have considered destroying the satellite before deciding against it. U.S. officials have confirmed that Russia has developed anti-satellite weapons targeting American satellites. This aligns with U.S. intelligence assessments that Russia is advancing its space capabilities to counter U.S. reliance on space-based systems.Europe lags in satellite capabilities
Europe has high-performance observation satellites but lacks systems like the American SBIRS, which detect missile launches. Starlink, with around 10,000 satellites, provides better internet coverage than Europe’s closest alternative, OneWeb, which has only 600 satellites. In 2023, Europe launched just 13 satellites compared to over 4,000 by the U.S., 387 by China, and 99 by Russia, highlighting a significant gap in space infrastructure.
