As of: 08/27/2021 9:43 pm
The soldiers of the Bundeswehr have returned from their mission in Afghanistan. They “saw the incredible and achieved the incredible,” said Kramp-Karrenbauer. She also promised help to the people who stayed behind in Kabul.
Federal Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer received the returned soldiers of the Bundeswehr at the Wunstorf Air Force Base near Hanover. “The soldiers more than met our expectations and we are deeply grateful to them,” said Kramp-Karrenbauer.
Shortly before, the first soldiers of the Bundeswehr had returned to Germany from their evacuation mission in Afghanistan. Three military planes landed at the Wunstorf Air Force Base near Hanover. The forces started in Tashkent, the capital of Uzbekistan. The Bundeswehr had set up a hub there to fly Germans and threatened Afghans from Kabul in short shuttle flights.
An Airbus A400M of the German armed forces is greeted with a water jet of the fire brigade upon arrival in Wunstorf.
Image: AFP
“It will take time to process all of this”
Kramp-Karrenbauer has already spoken to some soldiers. “They saw and experienced incredible things, achieved incredible things. It will take time for many of them to process it all.”
The Defense Minister also remembered the victims of the terrorist attack in Kabul. “We are also thinking of those who stayed behind in Kabul. We will do everything we can to get them out of Afghanistan.” You have already held talks with the Uzbek defense minister about this.
Defense Minister Annegret Kramp-Karrenbauer thanks soldiers after an evacuation mission
tagesschau24 9:00 p.m., August 27, 2021
The commander of the Bundeswehr Operations Command, Lieutenant General Erich Pfeffer, thanked the soldiers of the evacuation mission for their difficult mission in Afghanistan. “Today is no reason to celebrate in view of the dramatic situation in Afghanistan. But, it is a day to honor the successful evacuation of more than 5000 people, a day to honor their extremely intensive deployment over almost two weeks,” said Pfeffer task forces that landed in three machines.
“At the same time, it is extremely painful to know that we did not succeed in evacuating everyone who worked with or for Germany in Afghanistan in the limited time,” said Pfeffer. “Nevertheless, it is a day of joy about the return of our troops from Kabul. But this joy is also massively clouded by the vile attacks on the airport in Kabul yesterday.”
Claudia Wohlsperger, NDR, on the return of the Bundeswehr soldiers
tagesschau24 9:00 p.m., August 27, 2021
“Our country is proud of you”
Federal President Frank-Walter Steinmeier also thanked the returned soldiers of the Bundeswehr for their evacuation mission. “You can rely on the soldiers of the Bundeswehr! For this I thank you from the bottom of my heart. Our country is proud of you,” wrote Steinmeier on his social media channels on Friday evening. It was a “courageous operation in a very dangerous mission”, as the brutal attack showed. “Together with our allies you have brought thousands of people from Afghanistan to safety,” Steinmeier continued.
According to the Bundeswehr, 454 emergency services were involved in the evacuation mission. Some of the emergency services and the material are still in Tashkent.