# Kazakhstan detains five officers after 14 die at sea

> Fourteen service members drowned during military exercises in the Caspian Sea. Five senior officials have been detained on suspicion of criminal negligence.
- Title: Kazakhstan detains five officers after 14 die at sea
- Summary: Fourteen service members drowned during military exercises in the Caspian Sea. Five senior officials have been detained on suspicion of criminal negligence…
- Keywords: kazakhstan, caspian sea, military exercises, naval forces, aktau, criminal negligence, news, world, detains, five, officers, die
- Source: BBC News — https://bbc.co.uk/news/articles/cm0reew1591zo
- Published: 2026-09-25T15:29:48.636+00:00
- Read time: 1 min
- Topics: kazakhstan, caspian sea, military exercises, naval forces, aktau, criminal negligence, news, world
## Fourteen die in Caspian Sea
Fourteen service members died when seventeen were swept into the Caspian Sea while disembarking from a boat on Thursday during military exercises. Three were rescued.
## Weather blamed for incident
Officials say the incident occurred during a combat training mission due to a sharp deterioration in meteorological conditions and increasing winds near Aktau in south-western Kazakhstan.

> during a combat training mission due to a sharp deterioration in meteorological conditions and increasing winds
## Five senior officers detained
Kazakhstan has detained five senior military officials suspected of criminal negligence. They include the chief of staff and first deputy commander of Kazakhstan's Naval Forces, two military unit commanders, and a boat commander.
## Investigation launched
An interior ministry committee has been set up to investigate. Deputy Interior Minister Sanzhar Adilov said a pretrial investigation into the deaths was being conducted.
## What investigators are examining
The investigation is looking into decisions made during the organisation and execution of the military training exercise, whether safety requirements were observed, whether weather conditions were considered, and the boat's technical specifications.
## Large-scale exercise underway
More than five hundred military personnel, warships and coastal units were participating in the Caspian Defense two thousand twenty-six military exercise, according to the Kazakh ministry of defence.
## Key takeaway

Kazakhstan detained five senior military officials after fourteen service members died when swept into the Caspian Sea during exercises on Thursday.