BND regularly supplies intelligence information to Ukraine

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Headquarters of the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) in Berlin: close ties to Kyiv

Photo: Kay Nietfeld / dpa

The federal government is apparently supporting Ukraine much more intensively in its defense campaign against Russia than is publicly acknowledged.

According to a report in Die Zeit, the Federal Intelligence Service (BND) has been providing Ukraine with secret service information from the war zone in a secret operation since early summer.

The more than a hundred reports that went to the Ukrainian secret service also included satellite images and information on Russian positions obtained from intercepted communications.

In security circles, the cooperation between the BND and the Ukrainian secret service, as described by »Zeit«, was confirmed.

Special technical material was brought to Kyiv in April for the secure transmission of data.

However, it is emphasized in the Berlin government district that the information transmitted is "not directly" suitable for Ukrainian attacks on Russian troops.

Instead, pictures of Russian positions or details of ammunition depots in the areas occupied by Russia served to condense the Ukrainians' picture of the situation.

To be on the safe side, the BND had had the legality of the sensitive aid operation checked by a legal judge.

According to the "Zeit" report, the corresponding legal opinion dealt with the "permissibility of transmitting targetable information to Ukraine".

The military use the term "targeting" to describe the preparation for attacks on military targets.

In the report, according to Die Zeit, the BND was attested that the transmission of BND information would not automatically make Germany a party to the war.

Chancellor Olaf Scholz wants to avoid this at all costs.

Nevertheless, the cooperation, which has been kept secret up to now, is more than explosive.

In all foreign missions, for example in Afghanistan, the Federal Government has meticulously ensured that German information is not used for deadly military operations by other nations.

At that time, Berlin wanted above all to prevent the United States from using German intelligence for the targeted killing of Taliban commanders.

Germany also installed strict rules in Mali to prevent France from using the data from the unmanned drones for robust anti-terrorist operations.

Federal government wanted to keep BND cooperation secret

After the Russian war of aggression, however, the Chancellery, which is responsible for controlling the BND, changed course.

In Berlin, it is emphasized that the BND findings are "not directly" used for planning attacks.

The conditions of the BND also include only sharing recordings from Ukraine, information on military facilities on Russian territory is taboo.

The restriction fits the German line.

For example, before the delivery of self-propelled howitzers, Berlin asked for assurances that the Ukrainians would not target them in Russia.

The report should cause a stir in Berlin.

In the early summer, the US secret services actually boasted about how often and effectively they provide their Ukrainian colleagues with information for military attacks.

The White House, however, was enraged by the detailed reports on American aid in the fight against Russia and issued a kind of gag.

Since then, according to US intelligence officials, a new unofficial rule has applied: "Do good, but don't talk about it."

The federal government would certainly have liked to do something similar.

mgb