German President Spends One Hour In Bomb Shelter In Ukraine During Air Raid - Reports

 German President Frank-Walter Steinmeier spent one hour in a bomb shelter in the Ukrainian city of Koriukivka in the Chernihiv region due to an air raid alert, German media reported on Tuesday.

"Air alert! Just a few minutes after arriving in Koriukivka in northern Ukraine, president Steinmeier has to go to a bomb shelter," Matthias Deiss, a journalist working for German broadcaster ARD, said on Twitter and posted a video showing Steinmeier going to a bomb shelter.

While staying in the shelter, Steinmeier talked with some of the city's residents and the mayor, the journalist said.

Steinmeier came to Ukraine on Tuesday for the first time since the start of Russia's special military operation to meet with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskyy in Kiev.

German newspaper Bild reported last week that Steinmeier canceled his visit to Kiev, scheduled for October 20, over security issues, as recommended by the Foreign Ministry, the Interior Ministry and security officials, irritating the authorities in Kiev.

Kiev previously rejected Steinmeier's request to visit Ukraine in April as the authorities expected Berlin to take tangible measures, such as an embargo on Russian oil or military and economic aid. German media reported, citing Ukrainian officials, that Zelenskyy had refused to host Steinmeier in Kiev due to his "close connections" to Russia. The disagreement was allegedly resolved during a telephone conversation between Steinmeier and Zelenskyy, though, according to the German media, citing high-ranking sources in Berlin, Steinmeier told Zelenskyy that the refusal was "a unique historical insult to the head of state."