Surviving soldier's hospital video emerges after 12 die in Caspian drill

September 25, 2026 at 10:27 AM2 min

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A video of surviving soldier Akzhol Temiraliyev in a Mangystau hospital has emerged after a Caspian Sea training accident killed 12 servicemen. His father said the soldier searched for his friend for half an hour before swimming ashore. The Prosecutor General's Office has opened a criminal case into the incident.

Key Facts

A training accident in the Caspian Sea killed 12 servicemen and left 3 rescued, with search operations ongoing for the remaining soldiers.
Surviving soldier Akzhol Temiraliyev told his father he searched for his friend Azamat for about half an hour before swimming ashore.
Mangystau regional health department head Bekbolat Izbasarov said the soldier's condition has improved and he is receiving treatment in the therapy department.
The Prosecutor General's Office has opened a criminal case and taken the investigation under special control.

Hospital Video

Blogger Azamat Sarsenbayev entered the hospital with the parents of surviving soldier Akzhol Temiraliyev and filmed the soldier. The soldier's father said he managed to speak briefly with his son the previous day. The father kissed his son on the forehead, and the mother tightly squeezed his palm.

Soldier's Account

The father said he did not ask many questions because his son was in intensive care and he knows investigators will question him. The soldier told his father they went into the water and he searched for his friend Azamat for about half an hour. He suddenly swallowed water, became dizzy, and swam to shore; he remembers the ambulance arriving but not what happened until he reached the hospital.

Incident Aftermath

During the Caspian Sea training exercise, weather conditions deteriorated and 17 soldiers went into the water. Twelve servicemen died and three were rescued, with search operations continuing for the remaining soldiers. The Prosecutor General's Office opened a criminal case and placed the investigation under special control. The Ministry of Defense soon published the names of the deceased servicemen.