Body of serviceman died in Caspian Sea incident transported to Turkistan

According to the Kazakh Defense Ministry, the serviceman's body was transported to Turkistan Airport aboard a special military aircraft at around noon on September 25.

A farewell ceremony was held in Turkistan later that day. Following the janazah prayer, the officer was laid to rest in his native region.

Earlier, the bodies of several other servicemen who died in the Caspian Sea tragedy were airlifted to Uralsk for burial.

As written before, the tragedy occurred on September 24 during a combat training exercise when weather conditions rapidly deteriorated and strong winds swept away the servicemen into the Caspian Sea. Twelve servicemen have been confirmed dead, while two others remain missing and search operations continue.

The Khazar Qorgany 2026 naval exercises began on September 22 in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea. The drills involved over 500 military personnel, naval ships and boats, hydrographic vessels, Coast Guard units from the National Security Committee Border Service, and Air Defense Forces aviation.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed condolences to the families of the victims and instructed authorities to establish all circumstances surrounding the incident and provide assistance to the bereaved families. A government commission led by Deputy Prime Minister Kanat Bozumbayev has been established to investigate the causes of the tragedy. Criminal proceedings have been launched under two articles of the law.

By a presidential decree, a national day of mourning has been declared in the Republic of Kazakhstan for September 25, 2026.

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