The police probe continues into the missing TNT, as the defence ministry awaits crucial findings regarding 13.6 kilograms of explosives that vanished during a national guard training exercise.
- The police probe continues into the missing TNT, as the defence ministry awaits crucial findings regarding 13.6 kilograms of explosives that vanished during a national guard training exercise.
Defence Minister Vassilis Palmas addressed the media on Thursday, expressing hope that the police investigation would soon yield developments. “The police are continuing their investigations, and we hope that in the coming period we will have developments regarding the location of the explosives,” he stated.
The TNT went missing on January 29 at the Kalo Chorio firing range in the Larnaca district during an engineer training exercise. A controlled detonation did not ignite as expected, leading personnel to follow standard safety protocols and wait before re-approaching the site. Upon their return, they discovered that two explosive devices were missing.
Drone footage from the area indicated that the explosives had been in place shortly before their disappearance, effectively ruling out an unrecorded blast and narrowing the timeframe for their removal. This evidence prompted authorities to treat the incident as a potential theft, leading to the sealing off of the area and the initiation of both police and administrative investigations.
The internal investigation conducted by the national guard has been completed, with findings submitted for review. Palmas confirmed that national guard chief Emmanuel Theodorou would impose penalties on officers who failed to fulfil their duties during the exercise. However, he refrained from disclosing specific details about individual responsibilities or testimonies, emphasising the need to maintain the integrity of the investigative process.
“I do not want to go into details. These are issues that concern the internal process, and anything said further may be detrimental to the process of the testimonies and the conclusion,” Palmas remarked, adding that “a fairly large number of individuals” had come forward with statements.
When asked whether the missing explosives could now be outside military control, Palmas acknowledged the seriousness of the situation, stating, “since they have been lost, all possibilities are open.” His subsequent remarks over the weekend highlighted that the administrative inquiry had revealed “serious omissions and dereliction of duty” among the officers involved.
Palmas underscored the gravity of the situation, noting that the missing quantity of explosives “poses great risk to human lives” if they fall into the wrong hands. He reiterated that the focus must remain on the criminal investigation and the urgent need to locate the explosives that were lost due to unprofessional conduct.
Defence ministry sources indicated that recent changes in senior command, including the discharge of brigadier-general Alkis Alkiviades during routine evaluations, would not impact the ongoing disciplinary process. The final report will be completed by another senior officer currently in active service, with key decisions resting with the chief of the general staff, Georgios Karayiannis.
