AN ELITE squad of 14 soldiers have reportedly drowned under the weight of their own combat gear after a failed military drill swept them out to sea.
The victims – all aged in their late teens or early 20s – were taken by the waves in the Caspian Sea during the bungled military exercise in .
Kazakhstan’s president has declared a day of national mourning today to mark one of the country’s deadliest military accidents in recent years.
A criminal probe has been launched by President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev into the actions of the commanders and if their orders directly led to the tragedy.
Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, who heads the commission, said: “All officials whose actions or inaction led to this tragedy will be held accountable to the fullest extent of the law.”
The horror incident occurred on Thursday in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region.
Tormented relatives stood behind a cordoned area as an officer read aloud the names of the drowned men, haunting footage showed.
The oldest victim, Olzhas Mukhtaruly, was just 23-years-old, with all the deceased servicemen born between 2005 and 2007.
A total of seventeen soldiers were swept into the sea, with three narrowly escaping death.
President Tokayev ordered a rapid payment of £42,000 to each family of the lost men.
The drill was commanded by Kazakhstan’s navy chief, Captain First Rank Kanat Niyazbekov, but it is unclear if he is implicated in the suspected “negligence”.
According to the Kazakh Defence Ministry, the soldiers were disembarking from the Kaisar military vessel in water one metre deep when they were swept into the open sea by strong winds and a sudden deterioration in weather conditions.
The Prosecutor-General’s office said: “Officials suspected of negligent performance of their duties have been identified, including those who failed to ensure proper control and the necessary measures to guarantee the safety of personnel.”
The Prosecutor General’s Office says investigators have inspected the scene, questioned more than 30 military personnel and seized documents and video footage.
According to the preliminary findings, officials are suspected of failing to take into account the weather conditions, as well as blunders over the rescue operation “resulting in loss of life.”
Five officials from Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry system have been detained in connection with the deaths of servicemen, The Caspian Post reports.
Those detained include the first deputy commander-in-chief of the Naval Forces and chief of staff, commanders of two military units, a marine company commander, and the commander of the Kaysar patrol boat.
Attendees at the Kazakhstan-China Forum – including President Tokayev – paid tribute to the fallen men during a moment of silence in their honour.
The investment forum is set to debate trade, economic and investment cooperation between the two states.
The fatal incident came as part of the Khazar Qorgany 2026 naval exercises, which began on September 22 in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea.
The drills involved over 500 military personnel, naval ships and boats, hydrographic vessels, Coast Guard units from the National Security Committee Border Service, and Air Defense Forces aviation.
The Caspian Sea is the world’s largest inland body of water, sitting at the intersection of Eastern Europe and Western/Central Asia.
Half way thought this year, Russian President Vladimir Putin ordered negotiations to update military cooperation agreements with Kazakhstan.
Kazakhstan has one of the strongest militarises in central Asia, boating about 110,000 active troops, 135,000 reservists, and 55,000 paramilitary personnel, according to Kursiv.media .
