Suren Papikyan expressed condolences to his Kazakh counterpart regarding victims of an incident during military exercises

Armenia’s Defense Minister Suren Papikyan has sent a message of condolences to Kazakhstan’s Defense Minister, Lieutenant General Dauren Kosanov, over the deadly incident during naval exercises in the Caspian Sea.

“On behalf of the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Armenia and myself, I express my deep condolences and sympathy over the tragedy that occurred on September 24, 2026, in Kazakhstan’s section of the Caspian Sea, during naval exercises of the Kazakh Naval Forces, which resulted in the deaths of servicemen,” the message says.

Minister Papikyan expressed condolences to the relatives and friends of those killed, wishing them strength, and wished those injured a speedy recovery, the ministry said. 

During a combat training exercise, 17 Kazakh servicemen were swept out to sea after the weather suddenly deteriorated and strong winds struck the area. Three were rescued, while 14 died, according to Kazakhstan Today news agency.