Tokayev demanded reform of the army after the death of 14 soldiers in the exercises

President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the Security Council and the Ministry of Defense to reform the country's armed forces. This was reported by the press service of the Kazakh President. The order was given after the death of 14 soldiers during exercises in the Caspian Sea.

The meeting began with a minute of silence in memory of the dead soldiers. The cause of the incident, Mr. Tokayev called “criminal inherently unprofessional officers, including generals.” According to him, during the exercises, the servicemen were not given the necessary equipment, including sea life jackets. The President demanded to find out the circumstances of the tragedy and how necessary the training was.

“This tragic incident has clearly exposed the many shortcomings and lack of professionalism in the army. The time has come for radical military reform. This is an urgent task, said Mr. Tokayev. At the meeting, he introduced the new Defense Minister Aidos Myrzakhmetov.

Among other things, the President instructed to significantly increase the efficiency of using budgetary resources and introduce transparent criteria for assessing and selecting personnel. He also instructed to strengthen ideological and educational work among military personnel.

In the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea from September 22, the exercises “Defense of the Caspian — 2026” are held. More than 500 soldiers are involved. On September 24, during military exercises due to a sharp deterioration in the weather, 17 servicemen of Kazakhstan were carried into the sea. Three were saved.