ASTANA, September 28. /TASS/. Kazakhstan’s new Defense Minister Aidos Myrzakhmetov, appointed after the fatal drills in the Caspian Sea that claimed the lives of 14 servicemen, announced a set of measures to "reboot" the armed forces, naming reducing bureaucracy and raising combat readiness among them.

"[The meeting] focused on implementing instructions from the head of state and the supreme commander-in-chief of the armed forces regarding a comprehensive reboot of the armed forces, taking into account modern threats, the experience of armed conflicts, the rapid development of military technologies and ensuring the safety of the military service," the defense ministry said in a statement. "The main focus will be on raising the actual combat readiness of the troops, upgrading the quality of combat training, and improving weapons and military equipment."

The ministry said that the reforms "envisage further digitalization of processes, and the reduction of excessive administrative procedures, reporting and meetings that have no practical value."

"The armed forces need to develop not for the sake of performance figures and window-dressing events. Every process, every decision and every allocated resource must be directed at raising the combat readiness of the armed forces. Every soldier must feel safe," the statement quoted Myrzakhmetov as saying.

The ministry went on to say that it will work "to ensure the safety of the military servicemen as well as to prevent and to strictly crack down on hazing."

"The minister emphasized the need to review approaches to training service members. Training must correspond as closely as possible to modern warfare conditions, be based on practical experience and analysis of contemporary conflicts, and to take into account new ways of using unmanned systems, electronic warfare tools, reconnaissance, telecommunications, and other technologies," the statement reads.

Also, the armed forces plan to improve the command and control system.

Besides, the new minister instructed his officials to provide all possible assistance to the presidential commission, tasked with auditing the Defense Ministry following the latest fatal incident during the Caspian Sea drills.

Fatal drills in the Caspian Sea

On September 24, during Navy exercises on the Caspian coast in the Mangystau Region, 17 servicemen were swept out to sea. Fourteen of them died, and three were rescued. A criminal case has been opened in connection with the incident, and five defense officials have been detained, including the chief of staff and the first deputy commander-in-chief of the Navy. According to investigators, the servicemen were swept out to sea while disembarking from a boat amid deteriorating weather conditions.

In the wake of the tragedy, Kazakh President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev ordered a comprehensive audit in the Ministry of Defense. He said that "military service should not instill fear and terror," and identified "irresponsibility, negligence and window-dressing" as systemic problems of his country’s military, that have plagued the armed forces for years.

On Sunday, he ordered a sweeping military reform and relieved Defense Minister Dauren Kosanov of his duties on the same day. Kosanov had held the post since 2025, but was reappointed on September 3, 2025, meaning he served roughly tree weeks in his role under the new cabinet.

His successor, Aidos Myrzakhmetov, previously commanded Kazakhstan’s Special Operations Forces. Prior to that, he served in the State Protection Forces.