Those who died during the exercises in the Caspian Sea were not provided with life jackets.

The servicemen who died during the exercises in the Caspian Sea were not provided with the necessary equipment, including marine life jackets. This was announced on September 27 by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev.

The Head of State instructed the government commission to evaluate the actions of officials responsible for the preparation and conduct of exercises, the supply of military personnel and compliance with security measures.

"Long-standing problems in the army are not being solved by the leadership from year to year, which undermines the country's defense capability. No lessons have been learned from past tragedies," Tokayev is quoted as saying on the website of the President of Kazakhstan.

According to him, the death of military personnel in peacetime was the result of the lack of professionalism of officers, including generals. The President demanded to establish not only the circumstances of the incident, but also to find out what caused the very idea of the exercises and to what extent the tasks were consistent with modern threats.

"Irresponsibility, negligence, ostentation have become a commonplace. There is no systematic work, and crisis response plans do not stand up to any criticism. All this is a consequence of the indifference of the leadership of the military department," the head of state said.

By order of the President, a comprehensive audit of the Ministry of Defense of Kazakhstan has also begun. It will affect the organization of the service, the state of supply, as well as the material and financial support of the army. The Commission was headed by Deputy Chairman of the Security Council Aida Balayeva.

Tokayev stressed that positions and military ranks should not exempt responsible persons from punishment, and stated that he keeps the situation under personal control.

"This tragic incident has clearly revealed numerous shortcomings and lack of professionalism in the army. The time has come for a radical military reform. This is an urgent task," the president said.

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On September 25, the Kazakh Defense Ministry reported that 19 soldiers were swept out to sea during exercises in the Caspian Sea, 14 of them died. The tragedy occurred on the coast of the Caspian Sea while performing a combat training mission. In connection with the death of the servicemen, Tokayev declared September 25 a day of mourning. Later, on September 27, Kazakh Defense Minister Dauren Kosanov was relieved of his post. Tokayev appointed Aidos Myrzakhmetov as the new Minister of Defense of the Republic.