Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has replaced the country’s defense minister, three days after 14 servicemen were killed during military exercises in the Caspian Sea. Aidos Myrzakhmetov was appointed to lead the ministry as Tokayev ordered a broad inspection of the Defense Ministry and gave officials ten days to prepare a military reform plan.
Dauren Kosanov, who had held the role since June 2025, was dismissed on September 27. On the same day, Tokayev appointed Myrzakhmetov and introduced him at a meeting of senior Defense Ministry officials.
Myrzakhmetov, 45, is a career officer who spent much of his career in the State Guard Service before being appointed commander of the Armed Forces’ Special Operations Forces in January 2024. He graduated from the National Defense University in 2025 and holds the rank of major general.
Political analyst Adil Seifullin said the appointment appeared to continue a practice of moving officers with State Guard Service experience into senior government roles where officials face difficult decisions. He said Myrzakhmetov’s combination of experience in the service and direct command of the Special Operations Forces may have been among the factors behind his selection.
Tokayev set several priorities for the new minister, including reassessing the effectiveness of military spending, overhauling the command system, accelerating digitalization, and using technology instead of personnel for dangerous tasks where possible. He also said appointments to command positions should be based on experience and professional qualifications “rather than the principle of personal loyalty.”
“Our army is stuck in the last century,” Tokayev said, calling for the command system to be rebuilt using international experience.
The Security Council staff and Defense Ministry have ten days to prepare a phased military reform plan, which is due to be considered at a Security Council meeting in the second half of October. Tokayev specifically instructed officials not to produce another set of lengthy concepts and road maps, but to propose concrete measures.
The overhaul follows the deaths of 14 servicemen during the Khazar Qorgany 2026 exercises in the Mangystau region on September 24. Seventeen servicemen were swept into the sea during a personnel landing operation from the Qaisar boat. Three were rescued and 14 died. September 25 was declared a day of national mourning in Kazakhstan.
The Interior Ministry’s military investigative department opened a criminal case over suspected negligence and violations of navigation rules. Five members of the military command were subsequently detained as suspects. These included the chief of staff and first deputy commander-in-chief of the Naval Forces, two military unit commanders, a Marine Corps company commander, and the commander of the boat.
The Times of Central Asia previously reported on the tragedy and investigation, as well as the response of victims’ relatives.
The tragedy also raised questions about how the landing operation itself was organized. Azerbaijani military expert and reserve colonel Shair Ramaldanov said that, as he understood it, the Qaisar normally carried a crew of four and could take four additional people aboard.
“Putting 19 people on such a small boat raises a great many questions,” Ramaldanov said.
Initial reports said 19 servicemen had ended up in the water, but the figure was later revised to 17. Officials have not said whether all of them were aboard the Qaisar at the same time; official accounts say the tragedy occurred during the landing of personnel.
On September 27, Tokayev said the deaths were the result of what he called the “essentially criminal unprofessionalism of officers, including generals.” He demanded that officials establish who developed and approved the concept for the exercises, how they were coordinated by the General Staff, and why the commander-in-chief of the Naval Forces was not at the scene.
“Irresponsibility, negligence, and window dressing have become commonplace. There is no systematic work, and crisis response plans do not stand up to any criticism,” the president said.
Tokayev also said the servicemen taking part in the exercises had not been provided with the necessary equipment, including marine life jackets.
A day before replacing the minister, the president ordered a comprehensive inspection of the Defense Ministry. The commission is headed by Deputy Chair of the Security Council Aida Balayeva. The first results of the inspection are to be submitted to the president within seven days.
The commission will examine the organization of military service, procurement and supply, and the material and financial support of the Armed Forces. A separate government commission is investigating the circumstances of the tragedy itself and the actions of officials responsible for preparing the exercises and ensuring the safety of servicemen.
The Supreme Audit Chamber has separately launched a state audit to assess the efficiency of Defense Ministry budget spending and the financial and logistical support provided to military units.
