Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev harshly condemned the deaths of 14 servicemen during exercises in the Mangystau region. He said the families of the deceased would receive the necessary assistance, and the actions of officials responsible for the exercises would be investigated. This was reported by Qazaqyia.kz citing Kursiv Media.
"I have sent telegrams of condolence to the parents of all the deceased servicemen. The relatives of the deceased will be provided with all necessary assistance. Not a single family will be left without support," the president said.
Tokayev called the deaths of servicemen in peacetime a consequence of the essentially criminal unprofessionalism of officers, including generals. He demanded to find out not only the circumstances of the tragedy, but also who made the decision to conduct such exercises and how well their tasks corresponded to modern threats.
"Long-standing problems in the army are not being resolved by the leadership year after year, which undermines the country's defense capability. No lessons have been learned from past tragedies. Who developed and approved the concept of these exercises? What is the role and coordination on the part of the General Staff? Why was the Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces not present at the exercises? Irresponsibility, negligence, and showmanship have become commonplace. There is no systemic work; crisis response plans do not withstand any criticism. All of this is a consequence of the indifference of the leadership of the military department," the head of state said.
According to the president, during the exercises, servicemen were not provided with the necessary equipment, including maritime life jackets. He instructed the government commission to assess the actions of everyone responsible for the preparation and conduct of the exercises, the supply of personnel, and compliance with safety measures.
In addition, on Tokayev's orders, a comprehensive inspection of the Ministry of Defense has begun. It will cover the organization of service, supply, as well as the material and financial support of the army. The commission is headed by Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Aida Balayeva. She is to identify violations and determine the circle of persons who should be held accountable. The president emphasized that positions and ranks do not exempt from responsibility, and took this issue under his personal control.
"This tragic incident has clearly exposed numerous shortcomings and a lack of professionalism in the army. The time has come for a fundamental military reform. This is an urgent task. In this regard, I have made personnel changes. I present to you the new Minister of Defense, Aidos Sakenovich Myrzakhmetov. He is taking office at a difficult time. He bears exceptional responsibility and will have to solve extremely complex tasks. The most decisive actions are needed," Tokayev concluded.