ASTANA, September 25. /Dunyo IA/. Kazakhstan has declared a national day of mourning following the deaths of military personnel while on duty in the Mangystau Region, reports Dunyo IA correspondent, citing “Kazinform” international news agency.

The tragedy occurred yesterday during a training and combat mission on the coast of the Caspian Sea. A sudden deterioration in weather conditions and strengthening winds caused the servicemen to end up in the sea.

Initial reports said nine servicemen had died and three had been rescued, with one of the survivors hospitalized. The Ministry of Defence later confirmed that the death toll had risen to 12, while the search for two more servicemen is continuing. The Ministry of Defence has also published a list of the servicemen who died.

The Prosecutor General’s Office of Kazakhstan has launched a criminal investigation into the incident. An investigative team involving officers from the Interior, and the Emergency Situations Ministries and the prosecutor’s office has been established, and the necessary forensic examinations have been ordered.

President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev expressed condolences to the families and relatives of the deceased and instructed the authorities to establish all the circumstances of the incident and provide assistance to the servicemen’s families.

The naval exercises “Khazar Korgany – 2026” began on September 22 in Kazakhstan’s sector of the Caspian Sea. More than 500 servicemen took part, along with naval ships and boats, hydrographic vessels, units of the Border Guard Service’s Coast Guard and Air Defence Forces aviation.

The investigation into the causes of the tragedy is ongoing, while the search for the two missing servicemen continues.

Photo credit: Kazinform