Relatives of soldiers killed in Caspian drills gather at Aktau morgue

September 24, 2026 at 08:10 PM2 min

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

Relatives of soldiers killed during naval exercises in the Caspian Sea gathered at the Aktau city morgue on September 24, demanding identification of the bodies. Deputy Akim of Mangystau Region Galymzhan Niyazov told the crowd that the bodies would be transported and handed over to relatives at their places of residence. The gathering followed confirmation by the Ministry of Defense that nine servicemen died after 19 were swept into the sea during the drills.

Key Facts

On September 24, 19 servicemen were swept into the Caspian Sea during naval exercises in Mangystau Region due to sharply worsening weather and strengthening wind.
The Ministry of Defense confirmed at 14:00 that nine servicemen had died, three were rescued, and one of the rescued remained in hospital in stable but serious condition.
Deputy Akim of Mangystau Region Galymzhan Niyazov told relatives at the Aktau morgue that bodies would be transported and handed over at their places of residence as soon as possible.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared September 25 a day of national mourning in Kazakhstan and ordered an investigation into the tragedy.
A government commission led by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev arrived in Mangystau Region on the evening of September 24.

Gathering at the Morgue

Hundreds of relatives and close ones gathered in front of the Aktau city morgue demanding identification of the soldiers' bodies. Aktau blogger Azamat Sarsenbayev shared video from the scene on his Instagram page. Local authorities were preparing to transport the bodies, and Deputy Akim Galymzhan Niyazov assured the crowd that the bodies would be delivered to relatives at their places of residence in the shortest possible time.

The Caspian Sea Incident

The incident occurred on September 24 during exercises of the Naval Forces of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan on the Caspian Sea coast in Mangystau Region. According to preliminary information from the Ministry of Defense, 19 servicemen were swept into the sea due to a sharp deterioration in weather conditions and strengthening wind. The Ministry of Defense confirmed at 14:00 that nine servicemen had died, three were rescued, and one of the rescued remained in hospital in stable but serious condition. Search operations for the remaining servicemen continued, and no official lists of the dead and missing had been released.

Official Response

The General Prosecutor's Office reported that a criminal case had been opened and was being investigated in the Aktau garrison. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed condolences over the deaths and gave instructions to investigate the tragedy. Tokayev declared September 25 a day of national mourning in Kazakhstan. Festive events in honor of Aktau City Day were cancelled. Minister of Defense Dauran Kosanov and head of the government commission Kanat Bozumbayev arrived at the scene of the tragedy.