Kazakhstan's new defense minister orders crackdown on army hazing

September 28, 2026 at 05:05 PM2 min

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Kazakhstan's new Defense Minister Aidos Myrzakhmetov ordered a crackdown on hazing and non-regulation relations in the armed forces at his first working meeting with ministry leadership. He tasked commanders with improving combat readiness, training quality, and soldiers' living conditions.

Key Facts

Defense Minister Aidos Myrzakhmetov held his first working meeting with ministry leadership and ordered a crackdown on hazing and non-regulation relations.
Myrzakhmetov demanded that commanders create a healthy moral-psychological climate, improve educational work, and enhance service and living conditions for soldiers.
Conscript training must be updated to reflect modern combat conditions, including analysis of contemporary conflicts and the use of drones, reconnaissance, and communications.
President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered the Security Council apparatus and the Defense Ministry to present a military reform plan within ten days.

First Directives

At his first working meeting with ministry leadership, Defense Minister Aidos Myrzakhmetov ordered a strict crackdown on any manifestations of hazing and non-regulation relations in the army. He set tasks for the ministry leadership to improve real combat readiness, quality of combat training, management systems, and development of weapons and military equipment. Myrzakhmetov also instructed commanders to strengthen the moral and combat spirit of servicemen, demanding a healthy moral-psychological climate in units, better educational work, and improved service and living conditions.

Training Modernization

Training for conscripts must correspond to modern combat conditions, based on analysis of contemporary conflicts and the use of drones, reconnaissance, and communications. Myrzakhmetov stated that the army must develop not for the sake of reporting indicators and show events, and that every soldier should feel safe. Special attention was given to preparing units for their direct duties, with leaders required to raise training levels and achieve full combat readiness in any situation.

Presidential Reform Mandate

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev announced the need for a deep transformation of the Defense Ministry. The Security Council apparatus and the ministry must present a military reform plan within ten days. Tokayev ordered the army to shift to digital transformation and use technology instead of people where possible. Earlier, Tokayev harshly assessed the deaths of 14 servicemen during exercises in the Mangystau region, promising assistance to the families and a review of officials responsible for the exercises.