Tokayev revealed the causes of the tragedy on the Caspian Sea, which resulted in the deaths of 14 servicemen

Military personnel were not provided with marine life jackets during exercises in the Caspian Sea.

As reported by BAKU.WS with reference to TASS, this was stated by President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev at a meeting with the leadership of the republic's Ministry of Defense.

"The President noted that during the exercises, military personnel were not provided with the necessary equipment, including marine life jackets," the press service of the head of state said in a statement.

As Tokayev noted, the death of military personnel in peacetime was the result of "essentially criminal unprofessionalism of officers, including generals." He demanded to find out who developed and approved the exercise plan, how the General Staff coordinated the work, and also why the Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces was not present at the exercises.

Tokayev called on the government commission to clarify the circumstances of the incident, as well as to evaluate the actions of officials responsible for the preparation and conduct of the exercises, supply, and compliance with safety measures.

According to the head of state, longstanding problems in the army have not been addressed by the leadership year after year, and lessons from past tragedies have not been learned. "Irresponsibility, negligence, and window dressing have become commonplace. There is no systematic work, crisis response plans do not withstand any criticism. All of this is the result of the indifference of the military department's leadership," he emphasized.

On September 24, in the Mangistau region of Kazakhstan, during Naval Forces exercises on the Caspian coast, 17 military personnel were swept out to open sea: 14 of them died, and three people were rescued. A criminal case was opened in connection with the incident, and five employees of the Ministry of Defense were detained, including the Chief of Staff – First Deputy Commander-in-Chief of the Naval Forces. According to the investigation, the military personnel were swept out to sea during disembarkation from a boat in deteriorating weather conditions.

On September 26, Tokayev ordered the creation of a commission for a comprehensive inspection of the state of affairs in the Ministry of Defense. On September 27, the President dismissed Defense Minister Dauren Kosanov from his position.