Minister says political pressure forced live grenade training despite safety warnings

During a confidential hearing of the Hungarian Parliament's Defence and Law Enforcement Committee, Defense Minister Romulusz Ruszin-Szendi disclosed that soldiers had warned against employing live hand grenades in a training scenario, but the directive was nevertheless executed. The incident occurred in Újdörög, where a 29-year-old government employee participating in the Adaptive Defence program suffered the premature detonation of a grenade, resulting in the loss of both arms and severe facial injuries; the nearby instructor was also seriously hurt.

Although the prosecutor’s office dismissed the criminal case due to a lack of a direct causal relationship, the minister argued that political responsibility remains, noting that the push to expand the volunteer reserve force should never override safety. He called for future political decisions to respect professional military judgments. The injured woman continues to be employed by the Ministry of Defence.