The president of the German Federal Intelligence Service (BND), Bruno Kahl, was surprised in Kiev by the Russian invasion of Ukraine. Kahl had traveled to Ukraine on Wednesday for urgent talks on the current situation, a BND spokesman said Friday in response to a request. Due to the onset of hostilities and the closed airspace over Ukraine, the president had to return by land on Thursday.

But Russia's attack early Thursday morning, which came as a surprise to everyone, had also taken Kahl by surprise, he said. After Foreign Minister Annalena Baerbock called on all Germans to leave the country, a special department of the German Federal Police, Personenschutz Ausland, became active and evacuated diplomats and liaison officers of the BKA by land, according to Focus.

But Kahl could not reach this evacuation unit in time. Therefore, a special unit of the BND had to rescue him from this dangerous situation. According to Focus information, Kahl was on his way to Poland on Friday afternoon and is expected to enter EU soil, i.e. arrive in Poland, before the end of the afternoon.

RT Germany