Toqayev Reviews Progress on Orders to Strengthen Army, Expand Drone Forces

The President met with Defense Minister Dauren Kosanov, who briefed him on the army’s combat readiness and the progress made in implementing presidential directives for the first half of 2025, Orda.kz reports.

Topics included the outcome of the spring draft, improvements in service conditions, and the strengthening of patriotic education among military personnel.

The Defense Minister reported on the execution of the President’s instructions, including the advancement of air defense capabilities, development of territorial defense units, UAV forces, and military infrastructure. Special focus was given to the allocation of state defense contracts and measures to ensure personnel safety, the presidential press service stated.

Toqayev instructed Kosanov to intensify efforts to reduce the number of tragic incidents in the army and emphasized the priority of strengthening combat capabilities.

Earlier, we reported that Defense Minister Dauren Kosanov personally visited the search site of the missing ES-145 helicopter and met with the crew’s relatives.

He pledged to continue operations until the causes of the tragedy are fully established. A total of 400 people are currently working at the Sorbulaq site, including dog handlers and underwater equipment operators, though only debris has been found so far.

Original Author: Ruslan Loginov