FILE PHOTO: The President of the German Federal Intelligence Agency (BND) Bruno Kahl attends the opening ceremony of the new BND (Federal Intelligence Service) headquarter in Berlin
Fri, February 25, 2022,
BERLIN (Reuters) - The head of Germany's foreign intelligence service was in Ukraine when Russia invaded and had to be taken home overland in a gruelling two-day journey by special forces when the country's airspace was closed, Focus magazine reported.
The Federal Intelligence Service (BND) confirmed that Bruno Kahl had been in Ukraine on Wednesday for "urgent talks" but had to change his departure plans after the invasion began.
"Because of the outbreak of hostilities and the closure of Ukraine's airspace, the President had taken the land route back," the BND said in a statement on Friday, which did not mention the part special forces had allegedly played.
"This was a difficult and lengthy journey because of the streams of refugees going in the same direction. He is back in the European Union and is expected in Berlin today."
Related video: German president said in an address, 'Stop the craziness of this war'
Bild newspaper quoted sources as saying that Kahl had been in Ukraine to pass on important information in person. Kahl, a former politician rather than a career secret agent, had missed an earlier evacuation of German diplomats. He was now in Poland.
Massive flows of refugees fleeing the advancing Russian army have resulted in queues of many hours at Ukraine's borders with its western neighbours.
Former Ukraine president, armed with an AK-47, tells CNN Putin will 'never' take the country
Brendan Morrow, Staff Writer
Fri, February 25, 2022,
The former president of Ukraine spoke live with CNN on Friday from the streets of Kyiv, while armed with a rifle, amid Russia's invasion of the country.
CNN on Friday aired a live interview with Petro Poroshenko, who served as president of Ukraine until 2019 and spoke from the country's capital with an armed battalion behind him. Poroshenko spoke out against Russia's "disastrous aggression" against Ukraine, and he said there was fighting with Russia ongoing two or three kilometers away from him.
"Everybody should understand, Putin declared a war not for Ukraine," he said. "Putin declared a war to the whole world, to every single person who's watching now."
Poroshenko also called Russian President Vladimir Putin "simply crazy" and "evil" to "come here to kill Ukrainians." Asked by CNN anchor John Berman what he was armed with, Poroshenko held up a Kalashnikov, and he said that many Ukrainians wanted to enlist to fight against Russia, which shows "how Ukrainians people hate Putin." But he noted "we don't have enough arms."
When Berman asked how long he can hold out against Russia, Poroshenko replied, "Forever."
"Putin never will capture Ukraine, no matter how many soldiers he has, how many missiles he has, how many nuclear weapons he has," he said. "We Ukrainians are free people with a great European future."
CNN's interview with Poroshenko on the streets of Kyiv on Friday came as the network reported that U.S. intelligence officials "are concerned that Kyiv could fall under Russian control within days."
Brendan Morrow, Staff Writer
Fri, February 25, 2022,
The former president of Ukraine spoke live with CNN on Friday from the streets of Kyiv, while armed with a rifle, amid Russia's invasion of the country.
CNN on Friday aired a live interview with Petro Poroshenko, who served as president of Ukraine until 2019 and spoke from the country's capital with an armed battalion behind him. Poroshenko spoke out against Russia's "disastrous aggression" against Ukraine, and he said there was fighting with Russia ongoing two or three kilometers away from him.
"Everybody should understand, Putin declared a war not for Ukraine," he said. "Putin declared a war to the whole world, to every single person who's watching now."
Poroshenko also called Russian President Vladimir Putin "simply crazy" and "evil" to "come here to kill Ukrainians." Asked by CNN anchor John Berman what he was armed with, Poroshenko held up a Kalashnikov, and he said that many Ukrainians wanted to enlist to fight against Russia, which shows "how Ukrainians people hate Putin." But he noted "we don't have enough arms."
When Berman asked how long he can hold out against Russia, Poroshenko replied, "Forever."
"Putin never will capture Ukraine, no matter how many soldiers he has, how many missiles he has, how many nuclear weapons he has," he said. "We Ukrainians are free people with a great European future."
CNN's interview with Poroshenko on the streets of Kyiv on Friday came as the network reported that U.S. intelligence officials "are concerned that Kyiv could fall under Russian control within days."
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