Blogger claims eight soldiers died in Caspian Sea drills near Aktau

September 24, 2026 at 01:49 PM2 min

This digest was compiled by AI from multiple sources — links to the originals are below.

A Kazakh blogger reported that eight servicemen died during military exercises on the Caspian Sea coast in Mangystau region on September 24. The claim, posted on Instagram, says 17 personnel were swept into the sea by a wave after a sudden weather change. Kazakhstan's Defense Ministry has not confirmed the incident.

Key Facts

Blogger Azamat Sarsenbayev posted a screenshot on Instagram claiming the incident occurred 43 km from Aktau near the Omir Glamping recreation base.
The message says 17 servicemen — 15 sailors, one officer, and one contract soldier — were swept into the sea during a landing from the warship Kaisar.
The post states that by 12:00, eight bodies had been found at the scene, with identities yet to be established.
Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations said the information is being prepared by the Ministry of Defense, which has not confirmed the incident.

The Alleged Incident

Aktau blogger Azamat Sarsenbayev published a screenshot on Instagram describing a military exercise accident 43 km from Aktau near the Omir Glamping recreation base. The message claims that on September 24, during a landing from the warship Kaisar, a sudden weather change caused a wave to sweep 17 servicemen into the sea. The group reportedly included 15 sailors, one officer, and one contract soldier. The post states that by 12:00, eight bodies had been found at the scene, with identities yet to be established.

Search and Official Response

The message says eight Emergency Situations Department employees, three watercraft, four military ships, and a Ministry of Defense Mi-8 helicopter were involved in the search. Kazakhstan's Ministry of Emergency Situations told Kursiv that the information is being prepared by the Ministry of Defense. As of publication, the Ministry of Defense had not confirmed the incident or any casualties. Qumash reported that the Ministry of Defense and the Emergency Situations Department had not commented on the claims.