Polish police questioned Starlink arson suspects a day after attack, then let them go - Rzeczpospolita
Polish police checked the identities of two men suspected of setting fire to a Starlink ground station near Warsaw just hours after the attack, but allowed them to leave, Polish newspaper Rzeczpospolita reported on October 14.
The two Turkish nationals were later arrested in Germany on October 12, nearly three weeks after the September 23 fire at the Starlink facility in Wola Karbowska, which provides satellite communications used in Ukraine.
According to Rzeczpospolita, residents alerted police to two suspicious men roughly 10 kilometers (6 miles) from the facility on the morning of September 24.
A local police officer checked their documents at approximately 9:37 a.m. One of the men allegedly provided a false name and date of birth, but both were allowed to leave.
Polish police disputed suggestions that officers had made a mistake.
In a statement to Rzeczpospolita, police headquarters said investigators initially believed the fire may have been caused by an electrical short circuit and had no evidence of criminal activity when the men were questioned.
“At the time their identities were checked, there was no information indicating that the incident was criminal in nature, nor were there grounds for detaining these individuals,” police said.
The force added that the earlier identity checks ultimately helped investigators identify the suspects.
According to the newspaper, investigators later connected the men to the fire using surveillance footage, fingerprints, DNA evidence and mobile phone records.
A recording made by a taxi driver also reportedly captured the suspects discussing an “operation,” a “base” and a “satellite.”
The fire damaged an electrical distribution cabinet at the facility but was quickly extinguished, and the network continued operating without disruption.
Polish authorities say they suspect the attack was carried out on behalf of Russian intelligence.
Tomasz Siemoniak, Poland's minister responsible for coordinating intelligence services, said he had “no doubt” that Russian services were behind the sabotage.
Two Turkish nationals were arrested in Germany on October 12. A third suspect, a Turkish woman accused of driving the men to the facility, is also wanted for extradition, according to Rzeczpospolita.
The case comes amid concerns over attacks on satellite communications infrastructure in Europe. Eleven Starlink antennas were also reportedly set on fire at a facility near Sofia, Bulgaria, in a separate incident. No connection between the attacks has been established.