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World

Tokayev sacks defence minister Kosanov after 14 servicemen die in Caspian Sea exercise

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has dismissed Defence Minister Dauren Kosanov after a Caspian Sea naval exercise left 14 servicemen dead.

By Sarah Whitfield · · 1 min read

Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has dismissed Dauren Kosanov as defence minister following the deaths of servicemen during a naval exercise in the Caspian Sea, APA reported on Sunday, citing the presidential press service.

“By order of the Head of State, Dauren Zhumatayevich Kosanov has been relieved of his post as Minister of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” the statement said. The dismissal was also reported by CGTN and Izvestia.

The sacking follows a disaster on Thursday in which 17 servicemen were swept into the water during a combat training exercise in the southwestern Mangystau region after a sudden deterioration in weather and intensifying winds, according to the defence ministry. The toll climbed to 14 dead, the ministry confirmed on Friday, with three rescued, the Times of India and Yeni Safak reported. Tokayev declared Friday a national day of mourning.

Five military officials, including the first deputy navy commander, have been detained over allegations of negligence and navigation rule violations, the interior ministry said, according to the Times of India. It follows an incident two days earlier that Flip News covered, when five officers were arrested over the same exercise.

The dismissal comes after Tokayev publicly criticised the defence ministry’s leadership for insufficient attention to discipline and conscript safety, setting a two-year deadline for military reform, the Times of Central Asia reported earlier this week.

Sources

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