The Ministry of Defence (MoD) has settled a compensation claim with Royal Marines and Army soldiers who alleged exposure to asbestos during military exercises in Latvia. The claim centered on two exercises, Saber Strike 18 (SS18) and Baltic Protector 19 (BP19), held in 2018 and 2019 at the Skrunda-1 base.
The settlement involves former and serving marines from Plymouth's 30 Commando and Arbroath's 45 Commando, as well as attached Army soldiers. Edward Hill, a former Royal Marine who initiated the case in 2019, expressed disappointment regarding the lack of accountability but stated the group was generally satisfied with the settlement.
"We now have to live our lives not knowing whether we're going to contract an asbestos-related illness," Hill told the BBC. Another former Royal Marine described the situation as having "potentially handed me an unnecessary death sentence."
Central to the claim was the alleged presence of asbestos dust in a disused building at Skrunda-1 where troops were assigned to sleep. Hill, who participated in BP19, recalled concern over the dust and a request to sleep in tents outdoors, which was reportedly denied due to safety concerns. His unit was instructed to lay down boards to prevent disturbance of the dust.
Hill collected a 2kg sample from the sleeping area, which was later tested and found to contain Chrysotile fibre, a type of white asbestos commonly found in pipe insulation and roofing. The claimants' case asserted that the MoD was aware of asbestos at Skrunda-1 prior to the exercises but failed to brief the troops accordingly.
An MoD spokesperson stated, "Our people make extraordinary sacrifices to keep our country safe, often operating in challenging environments around the world, and their health, safety and wellbeing will always be our highest priority."