Kazakh President Dismisses Defense Minister After Drill Deaths

Kazakhstan President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev dismissed Defense Minister Ruslan Khassanov on January 13, 2026, following the deaths of 14 military personnel during exercises in the Caspian Sea. The incident occurred during a naval drill conducted by the country's armed forces. Tokayev's office did not provide additional details about the circumstances of the deaths or the specific cause of the exercise incident.

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