Former Eldyk soldier seeks compensation over 2024 grenade injury in Cyprus

Athens, Greece. A former Greek soldier who was seriously injured by a grenade during a training exercise in Cyprus is seeking hundreds of thousands of euros in compensation from the Greek state, his lawyers said after a court hearing in Athens.

The soldier, now 25, lost his right hand in the February 2024 incident at a firing range in the Stavrovouni area and lost his right eye a year later.

Court hearing

The administrative court in Athens heard arguments from both sides last Friday and reserved its decision.

Cyprus Defence Minister Vasilis Palmas said on Monday that the ministry was aware of the case but could not comment further because of the ongoing court proceedings.

Grenade batch

The law firm representing the former Eldyk soldier said testimony presented in court showed that the grenade which exploded was part of a batch of 73 grenades manufactured in Egypt in 2008 and received by the National Guard in 2009.

Under the original contract, the grenades had a shelf life of 10 years and should have been withdrawn or destroyed by 2018, according to the law firm.

The grenades were transferred to Eldyk at its request in 2023.

Claims over inspections

According to the law firm, the only inspection carried out before the grenades were used was a visual check for cracks by a lieutenant. It said this was the Greek state’s sole argument during the hearing.

The firm said two grenades from the batch had been withdrawn after cracks were detected and were not used. It also said a separate case involving an amputation after the premature activation of a grenade’s firing mechanism had previously been recorded.