During the last days of the final battle, the artillery fire was so intense that the legation staff were practically trapped in their bunker. On 1 May 1945, the bunker was occupied by about fifteen Russians. The operation of the legation continued even after the arrival of the Russians, despite the "Wehrmacht" capitulating on 8 May 1945 and the Nazi Germany ceased to exist and Sweden declared that diplomatic relations had been broken. On 18 May, however, the legation staff was evacuated via Moscow and Leningrad to Stockholm.