Kazakhstan has made changes to the command structure of its Armed Forces. President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Aytkurman Omarbekov as first deputy defense minister and chief of the General Staff.
Before this appointment, Omarbekov served as deputy head of the State Guard Service and commander of the Special Forces.
Changes follow incident on the Caspian coast
Changes at the Defense Ministry continued after 14 soldiers died during an exercise held on the Caspian Sea coast.

Kazakhstan’s Defense Ministry had announced that 17 military personnel were swept away on Sept. 24 after weather conditions suddenly deteriorated and winds strengthened at sea. Following the incident, 14 soldiers were reported dead and three were rescued.

Tokayev orders reforms within 10 days
Following the incident on the Caspian Sea, Tokayev asked the Security Council Staff and the Defense Ministry to prepare a military reform plan. The president ordered that the plan be submitted within 10 days and also called for the command system to be restructured.
The president of Kazakhstan also called for greater efficiency in the use of budget resources.