This is the horrifying moment a grenade was blasted through the hand of an army cadet where it became wedged tight after having been fired from a grenade launcher.

Fortunately, the grenade did not explode in the dramatic incident which happened during military exercises near the southern Ukrainian city of Odessa.

The cadet, whose name has not been released, was taking part in an exercise at the Odessa Military Academy when the explosive device was accidentally fired into his hand from a grenade launcher.

A soldier suffered horrific injuries after a grenade was embedded in his hand after being fired by a launcher during a military exercise in Odessa, Ukraine

Fortunately for the cadet, the grenade did not explode but was lodged in his hand

His shocked fellow soldiers raised the alarm and paramedics, police and the bomb squad quickly arrived on the scene.

Pictures taken by police officers show the young man lying face down, covered by protective bulletproof blankets, as a brave bomb squad officer kneels beside him to disarm the device.

The VOG-25P type grenade, which is a bouncing grenade with a small explosive charge in the tip, and which can be clearly seen protruding through both sides of his hand in the photographs, was safely removed and destroyed.

The young soldier survived the horrific accident and is being treated for his injuries in hospital.

The VOG-25P type grenade, pictured, was safely removed from the hand and destroyed

The soldier survived the ordeal and is now being treated for his injuries in hospital

Netizen 'Vasya' commented: "I don't understand how the grenade got there? Did he pull the trigger while he was charging the launcher?"

Ukraine is believed to have lost a number of soldiers in military training accidents over the last few year.

The total number has not been reported but a number of fatal incidents have been reported by the local media.