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Accountable for Everything

Five officials from the Ministry of Defense system have been detained in connection with the case of the deaths of servicemen during exercises on the Caspian Sea, the Ministry of Internal Affairs of Kazakhstan reported.

"On suspicion of committing criminal offenses related to negligent attitude to service and violation of navigation rules, which led to grave consequences, responsible officials of the highest and senior command staff of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan have been detained. All of them have been placed in the temporary detention facility of the Aktau Police Department," the statement reads.

Among them are:

— the Chief of Staff – First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan;

— two commanders of military units;

— commanders of a marine infantry company and a boat.

During the investigation, the circumstances of decision-making during the organization and execution of the combat training mission, compliance with safety requirements, consideration of hydrometeorological conditions, the technical condition of the boat, and the actions of the officials responsible for conducting the exercises are being verified. The agency emphasized that the progress of the pre-trial investigation is under the special control of the Ministry of Internal Affairs and the Prosecutor General's Office.

Two criminal cases have been initiated regarding this incident: under Article 453, Part 2 ("Negligent attitude to service, resulting in grave consequences") and Article 465 ("Violation of navigation rules"). Suspects have been identified.

As reported by the Prosecutor General's Office of the Republic of Kazakhstan, the investigation has already inspected the scene of the incident, questioned more than 30 servicemen, seized documentation and video materials, ordered 12 expert examinations, and identified the suspects.

According to the latest data, 14 people died during the exercises, and three were rescued. Rescuers, divers, and aviation conducted round-the-clock searches for the missing servicemen in the waters of the Caspian Sea. On the morning of September 25, the bodies of the last two missing servicemen were found, after which the search operation was concluded.

September 25 was declared a day of national mourning in Kazakhstan.

The tragedy on the Caspian Sea on September 24, 2026, which claimed the lives of 14 servicemen, has once again raised the issue of personnel safety during exercises and combat training. Over the years of independence, Kazakhstan has repeatedly faced major emergencies in the Armed Forces system – plane crashes, explosions at ammunition depots, and the deaths of military personnel during exercises.

September 14, 2004 – Yak-18 crash, Aktobe region – 2 dead

At the Khlebodarovka military training ground in the Martuk district, during a training flight, a Yak-18 aircraft entered an uncontrollable spin and crashed. An instructor pilot and a cadet of the T. Ya. Begeldinov Military Institute of Air Defense Forces were killed.

February 16, 2007 – MiG-31 crash near Karaganda – 2 dead

During a training flight approximately five kilometers from Sary-Arka Airport, a MiG-31 interceptor fighter of the Air Defense Forces crashed. Both crew members – Captain Denis Fedotov and Major Andrey Leontyev – were killed.

February 12, 2008 – MiG-29UB crash, Zhelygen – 1 dead

A MiG-29UB combat trainer crashed at the Zhelygen airfield in the Almaty region. Both pilots ejected, but Major Aleksandr Kovyazin died, and Lieutenant Colonel Vitaliy Dilmukhamedov was injured. The commission later linked the crash to a malfunction in the aircraft's power supply system.

March 20, 2009 – explosions during ammunition disposal, Arys – 4 dead

A fire broke out on the territory of "KazArsenal," which was engaged in ammunition disposal, followed by detonation and several explosions. As a result, four people were killed and another 17 were injured. Later, the investigation established gross violations of safety requirements. This emergency belongs to the military ammunition disposal system; however, the deceased were employees of the enterprise, so not all four can be considered servicemen.

August 22, 2012 – Mi-17 crash near Astana – 4 servicemen dead

During a training flight in the area of the Astana airfield, a Mi-17 helicopter of the Ministry of Defense crashed. The entire crew of four was killed.

August 27, 2013 – explosion during ammunition disposal, Otar – 4 dead

At the ammunition disposal point of JSC "Kazakhvzryvprom" near the Otar station in the Zhambyl region, powder charges ignited, followed by an explosion. Seven people received severe thermal burns, and four subsequently died. "Kazakhvzryvprom" was referred to in sources of that time as a subsidiary structure of the Ministry of Defense; the deceased were employees of the enterprise, not servicemen. Employees of the enterprise were subsequently convicted in the case.

September 23, 2014 – Su-27 crash near Taldykorgan – 2 servicemen dead

During a training flight, communication with a Su-27 was lost. The aircraft crashed in the Koksu district of the Almaty region. Lieutenant Colonel Yerlan Nauanov and Lieutenant Colonel Denis Gorbunov were killed.

September 18, 2015 – tragedy on the Caspian during the "Center-2015" exercises, Aktau – 4 servicemen dead

During the practice of an amphibious landing episode, six BTR-80s with 52 servicemen entered the Caspian Sea. Due to strong waves, four armored personnel carriers sank. Four conscript servicemen died.

February 17, 2017 – avalanche in the Koksay gorge, Zhambyl region – 7 servicemen dead

During planned combat training sessions for servicemen of military unit 91678 in the Zhualy district, a snow avalanche occurred. Twenty-three servicemen of the mountain infantry regiment were caught under it. Seven died, and the rest were rescued. This is one of the largest emergencies directly during combat training prior to the current tragedy.

March 27, 2019 – Mi-8 crash in the Kyzylorda region – 13 servicemen dead

A military Mi-8 helicopter of the Ministry of Defense crashed during a flight as part of a group of helicopters. There were 13 people on board – all died. In terms of the number of casualties, this is one of the largest disasters in the Armed Forces of independent Kazakhstan.

June 24, 2019 – explosions at the arsenal in Arys – 4 dead, hundreds injured

A fire broke out at the ammunition depots of military unit 44856, followed by a massive detonation of ammunition. Practically the entire city had to be evacuated.

August 26, 2021 – fire and explosions at an ammunition depot in the Bayzak district of the Zhambyl region – 17 dead, including 6 servicemen of the Ministry of Defense

In military unit 28349, a fire broke out at an engineering ammunition depot, followed by a series of powerful explosions. In terms of the total number of casualties, this is one of the largest emergencies at a Ministry of Defense facility during the years of independence.