Residents of six Russian cities are coming to Kazakhstan's diplomatic missions to honor the memory of servicemen killed during exercises on the Caspian Sea. Among them are Kazakhstanis living in Russia. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
From the morning of September 25, flowers are being laid at the building of the Republic of Kazakhstan's embassy in Moscow and the consulates general in St. Petersburg, Kazan, Omsk, Astrakhan and Yekaterinburg.
People are expressing condolences to the families of the deceased and wishing recovery to the injured. Letters of condolence are also arriving at the embassy's email.
"Books of condolences have been opened at Kazakhstan's diplomatic missions in Russia. Entries were left by Russian Deputy Defense Minister Vasily Osmakov, Director of the Third Department of CIS Countries at the Russian Foreign Ministry Alexander Sternik, Chairman of the Board of the Eurasian Economic Commission Bakytzhan Sagintayev and Deputy Secretary General of the CIS Denis Trefilov. Among those who expressed condolences are Australian Ambassador to Russia John Geering, Belarusian Ambassador to Russia Yuri Seliverstov, Omsk Vice Mayor Yelena Dyachuk and others," the press service of Kazakhstan's Embassy in the Russian Federation said.
On September 24, during a combat training task in the Mangystau region, the weather sharply deteriorated and 17 servicemen were carried out to the open sea. Three were rescued, 14 died. On the morning of September 25, the bodies of the last two missing — Sergeant Mansur Gumarov and sailor Miras Turdybekuly — were found. After that, the search operation was completed.
September 25 was declared a day of national mourning by order of the country's president, Kassym-Jomart Tokayev. Telegrams of condolence from heads of state and leaders of international organizations continue to arrive to the head of state.
Earlier, Kursiv wrote that five officers of Kazakhstan's Defense Ministry were detained in the case of the sailors' deaths. The criminal case, opened under articles on negligence and violation of ship navigation rules, is under special control of the Prosecutor General's Office. A government commission headed by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev was created to determine the causes of the emergency. The vice premier promised that the families of the sailors who died during the exercises on the Caspian will receive all due payments without delay.