A commission conducting a comprehensive investigation into the incident within the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan, which resulted in the deaths of 14 servicemen during military exercises in the Caspian Sea on September 24, has uncovered several shortcomings and violations in the planning of the drills.
Sea-news.az reports that this was disclosed by the press service of Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev following a meeting with members of the commission.
According to the statement, preliminary findings indicate that severe errors were made in the planning of military events and that necessary supervision was not executed by the former leadership. The head of state noted that initial personnel decisions have already been taken and emphasized that all officials responsible for the deaths of the servicemen must be held accountable in accordance with the law.
Based on the results of the first phase of the inspection, law enforcement authorities have initiated 13 criminal cases involving potential misappropriation of state property, abuse of authority, and other violations within the operations of the Defense Ministry’s departments and units.
Additionally, 5 defendants have been arrested in connection with the case involving the deaths of the 14 servicemen.
The President of Kazakhstan demanded that all responsible parties be brought to justice and placed the matter under his personal control.
The statement noted that the pre-trial investigation into criminal negligence by the command staff remains ongoing, with a preventive measure of detention ordered for five officials.
It may be recalled that on September 24, 17 servicemen were swept away by water during military exercises on Kazakhstan’s Caspian Sea coast. Fourteen of them died, while three were rescued.
Following the incident, President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev instructed the Ministry of Defense to investigate the event. Subsequently, the Minister of Defense and the Chief of the General Staff were replaced, and the Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces was dismissed from his position.
The criminal investigation into the case is ongoing. According to earlier information provided by the Kazakh Ministry of Internal Affairs, the accused include the First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces and several other Defense Ministry officials.
