An officer has died in a military unit of the Zharkent garrison in the Zhetysu region.
"On 14 November, during unscheduled counter-sabotage training, an officer from one of the military units of the Zharkent garrison sustained injuries incompatible with life as a result of a breach of safety measures," reports Informburo.kz citing the press service of the Kazakh Ground Forces.
Law enforcement officers have initiated a criminal investigation. No further information is being disclosed in the interests of the investigation.
"The command of the Ground Forces expresses its condolences to the family and friends of the deceased, and all necessary assistance will be provided to them," the statement reads.
It is worth recalling that against the backdrop of increasingly frequent tragic incidents in the army, Kazakh citizens have created a petition calling for the abolition of compulsory military service. The authors believe that abolishing conscription in Kazakhstan has become urgent due to the numerous deaths of service personnel during peacetime. In September alone, we reported on five such incidents.
On 7 September, in a military unit in Aktau, a conscript soldier died from a gunshot wound to the head. On 13 September, at the Military Institute of the Ground Forces in Almaty, a sergeant committed suicide. On 16 September, in Arys, a contract soldier from one of the military units sustained a head wound from a traumatic weapon.
On 19 September, an officer from one of the military units of the Ayagoz garrison committed suicide by hanging. On 30 September, a contract soldier from one of the military units of the Aktau garrison took his own life in the apartment where he was living.
Meanwhile, the editorial board of FBRK sought to determine how many people have died in recent years while 'paying their debt to the Motherland'. We sent an official request to the Ministry of Defence asking for data on the number of deaths in the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. The department's response can be viewed via this link.