IDF censures junior officers over death of soldier in accidental grenade blast

Emanuel (Mannie) Fabian is The Times of Israel's military correspondent

Cpl. Denis Zinoviev, 18, killed in an accidental grenade explosion at a base in the Jordan Valley on January 14, 2022. (Israel Defense Forces)
Cpl. Denis Zinoviev, 18, killed in an accidental grenade explosion at a base in the Jordan Valley on January 14, 2022. (Israel Defense Forces)

Two junior officers are censured over the death of a soldier earlier this year in an accidental grenade blast.

In the January 15 incident, Cpl. Denis Zinoviev brought an unexploded grenade he found during a training exercise back to his base’s living quarters, where it later exploded, killing him and wounding three other soldiers.

The Israel Defense Forces wraps up an investigation into the explosion, finding that the deadly accident was caused largely due to a “failure to follow safety procedures.”

The commander of the Kfir Brigade’s training program during the explosion was censured, and Zinoviev’s company commander is reprimanded, the IDF says.

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