it has emerged that the grenade’s storage life may have expired as early as 2018.

A 25-year-old serviceman from Greece is seeking compensation of hundreds of thousands of euros after a serious incident during military exercises in the Stavrovouni area of Cyprus. The case is being heard in Athens.

What happened?

On 21 February 2024, during training, an Egyptian-made grenade exploded in the soldier’s hands. As a result he lost part of his right hand and suffered a severe injury to his right eye.

In October 2025 the damaged eye had to be removed because of an infectious complication. The young man faces further treatment and prosthetic work. According to his lawyers, the injuries have deprived him of the ability to work in his trained profession as an electrical engineer.

Why have questions been raised about the National Guard of Cyprus?

According to PhileNews, the grenade belonged to a batch purchased in 2008. The manufacturer set a ten-year storage life for these munitions.

Despite this, in 2023 the National Guard issued such grenades to the Greek military contingent in Cyprus for exercises.

Moreover, as early as 2016 the military had recorded problems with this type of ammunition and recommended avoiding its use.

A representative of the National Guard stated that an inspection conducted after the incident found no violations related to the fitness of the grenades.

The court must now examine the circumstances of the incident and the victim’s claim for compensation.

One of the central questions in the case is why munitions whose storage life, according to published documents, had expired several years before the tragedy continued to be used in exercises.

@cyprus_kipr