A high ranking officer from the navy is among several senior leaders taken into custody for negligence following a maritime accident in the Caspian Sea. Kazakhstan's Interior Ministry detained five defense officials, including the first deputy commander of the Naval Forces, on suspicion of violating navigation rules after 14 servicemen died during a landing operation on September 24. In total, 17 soldiers were swept overboard from a patrol boat, though three were eventually rescued.

The tragedy occurred during the Khazar Qorgany-2026 exercise near Aktau, where weather conditions deteriorated suddenly as troops attempted to land from the boat Kaisar. Investigators are now auditing the vessel's technical condition and whether officials complied with safety requirements. A similar incident at the same coastline in 2015 resulted in the deaths of four soldiers.