Military Chief Comments on Investigation into Deaths of Two Servicemen

Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces, Major General Mereke Kuchekbayev, has provided details of investigations into two military deaths, Orda.kz reports.

The briefing at the Central Communications Service addressed the deaths of Private Dastan Kurmanbek in Saryozek on January 14 and Private Marat Barkulov at the Aqtau brigade in September 2023.

Speaking about the Saryozek case, Kuchekbayev personally supervised the investigation and confirmed that military law enforcement had initiated criminal proceedings.

While specific details remain confidential pending investigation, he acknowledged systemic failures in command oversight.

The investigation revealed that unit leadership failed to identify the private's difficulties adapting to military life and did not provide adequate psychological support. 

It also uncovered unaddressed interpersonal issues within the unit, including tensions with officers and sergeants.

Kuchekbayev noted that despite these failures, he had personally met with Dastan and facilitated a visit from his parents, who spent a day with their son at the unit.

No complaints were recorded following the visit.

Regarding Private Barkulov's death in Aqtau, Lieutenant Dosov, the platoon commander, faces criminal charges with the case now in court.

The investigation led to disciplinary actions against several officers, ranging from dismissal to formal reprimands.

The Major General emphasized the military's commitment to preventing similar incidents while adding:

We should not blame only the army. This tragedy shows that the problem is complex: it includes personal, family and social aspects.

Original Author: Artem Volkov