At least nine servicemen have died after being swept into the Caspian Sea during a naval exercise in Kazakhstan’s Mangystau region, the country’s Ministry of Defence said.
The incident occurred during the “Khazar Qorgany – 2026” exercises, when sudden weather changes reportedly swept 19 servicemen into the sea.
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Three individuals have been rescued, one of whom is hospitalised, while search and rescue operations continue for the remaining missing personnel, according to the Ministry.
“According to preliminary data, 19 servicemen were swept out to sea. As of now, nine of them, unfortunately, have died. Three servicemen have been rescued, one of whom has been hospitalized. The search for the others is underway,” it stated.
Rescue personnel and equipment were sent to the site after the incident. Naval Forces units, the Ministry of Emergency Situations, aviation assets and other relevant services were deployed for the search and rescue operation.
Meanwhile, Defence Minister Lieutenant General of Aviation Dauren Kosanov has travelled to the site with a ministry commission tasked with establishing all circumstances of the incident and coordinating the response.
The Ministry of Defence stated that it will release further updates on the search operations and the condition of the servicemen as new information is confirmed. Authorities also called on the public to rely exclusively on official statements from the Ministry of Defence and other government agencies.
According to AzerNEWS, the “Khazar Qorgany – 2026” naval exercise involved ships and boats from the Naval Forces, hydrographic vessels, assets of the Mangystau regional department of the Border Service of the National Security Committee, and aircraft from the Air Defence Forces.
The drills included joint manoeuvres, search-and-rescue activities, and training for responses to different types of threats.
