Kazakhstan defense spending hits 1.15 trillion tenge, yet 14 soldiers die without life jackets

October 1, 2026 at 09:00 AM2 min

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

Kazakhstan executed 1.15 trillion tenge in defense spending in 2025, a 10.7% increase from the previous year. The September 24 Caspian Sea training accident killed 14 servicemen, with President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stating they lacked necessary equipment, including life jackets. The tragedy highlights a disconnect between rising defense budgets and actual troop readiness.

Key Facts

Kazakhstan's 2025 defense spending reached 1.15 trillion tenge, up 10.7% from 2024.
The September 24 Caspian Sea accident killed 14 servicemen; three were rescued.
President Tokayev said the servicemen lacked necessary equipment, including life jackets.
In January–August 2026, the Ministry of Defense spent 742.8 billion tenge, of which 737.3 billion went to combat and mobilization readiness.
Defense spending grew 2.6 times from 440.8 billion tenge in 2015 to 1.15 trillion tenge in 2025.

The Caspian Sea Tragedy

On September 24, during a combat training exercise of the Kazakh Naval Forces, a sudden deterioration in weather and increased wind swept 17 servicemen into the open sea. Three servicemen were rescued, and 14 died. The search operation concluded on the morning of September 25 after the bodies of the last two missing servicemen were found. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev stated that the servicemen were not provided with necessary equipment, including marine life jackets.

Defense Budget Growth

In 2025, Kazakhstan executed 1.15 trillion tenge in defense spending from the republican budget, a 10.7% increase from 2024. The adjusted budget was 1.2 trillion tenge, with execution reaching 95.8%. The Ministry of Defense received 933.3 billion tenge, while the Ministry of Emergency Situations received 216.2 billion tenge. In 2024, defense spending totaled 1.04 trillion tenge, with 542.2 billion tenge going directly to the Ministry of Defense and 295 billion tenge for the state defense order through the Ministry of Industry and Construction. From 2015 to 2025, defense spending increased 2.6 times, from 440.8 billion tenge to 1.15 trillion tenge.

2026 Spending Priorities

In January–August 2026, the adjusted republican budget for defense was 1.38 trillion tenge, of which 906.9 billion tenge (65.5%) was executed. For military needs specifically, 1.12 trillion tenge was planned, and 742.8 billion tenge was spent. Of the 742.8 billion tenge spent by the Ministry of Defense, 737.3 billion tenge went to combat and mobilization readiness. The Armed Forces development program received only 3.5 billion tenge over the same period.