Toqayev Appoints New Head of Security Council's Situational Center

Arman Abdrasilov has been appointed as the new head of the Situational Center under Kazakhstan’s Security Council, replacing Amangeldy Omarbekov, who was dismissed in June, Orda.kz reports.

The official presidential decree was published on August 8, confirming President Qasym-Jomart Toqayev’s decision to appoint Abdrasilov to the position.

Born in 1980 in the Aqmola region, Abdrasilov graduated from the Mechanics and Mathematics Faculty of Al-Farabi Kazakh National University. He began his career in 2001 as an engineer at the university’s Research Institute of Mathematics and Mechanics.

From 2002 to 2012, he worked at the National Scientific and Technical Center, and later spent seven years leading the Center for Analysis and Investigation of Cyber Attacks (TSARKA), an organization focused on cybersecurity.

His appointment marks the latest in a series of recent changes within the Security Council’s leadership. In late June, former Defense Minister Ruslan Zhaqsylyqov — who had been dismissed from his ministerial role — was named First Deputy Secretary of the Security Council.

Zhaqsylyqov later publicly denied rumors of his possible arrest, and the National Security Committee confirmed that no investigation was underway against him.

Earlier, in mid-June, Amangeldy Omarbekov was relieved of his position as head of the Situational Center, which he had held since August 2022, shortly after the unrest in January that year.

The Situational Center performs an analytical function, monitoring key developments in the country, identifying risks, and proposing coordinated solutions involving state and security agencies.

Original Auhtor: Ruslan Loginov