Fourteen Kazakh soldiers die in Caspian Sea during naval training exercise

On September 24, 2026, in Kazakhstan's Mangystau region, seventeen military personnel were swept into the Caspian Sea during a naval training exercise. Fourteen of them died, and three were rescued. The soldiers were disembarking from the Kaisar vessel in shallow water when strong winds and sudden weather changes pushed them into open sea. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev declared September 25 a day of national mourning and ordered an investigation. A government commission, led by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev, is examining the incident, with preliminary findings pointing to safety failures by officials.