Tragedy on the Caspian: Who is helping the families of the deceased servicemen and how
Tengrinews.kz — Following the deaths of 14 servicemen during exercises in the Caspian Sea, the government, charitable foundations, entrepreneurs, lawmakers, political parties, banks, and airlines have announced support for their families. Tengrinews.kz has compiled the information on support measures available as of September 29.
Government Assistance
The government commission stated that the state will fulfill all obligations to the families of the deceased servicemen, and the payments provided by law will be made without delay.
The amount of lump-sum compensation depends on the status of the deceased. The heirs of a contract soldier are entitled to compensation equivalent to five years of salary based on their last held military position.
The heirs of conscripts, as well as cadets, military reservists, or those called up for military training, are entitled to 500 monthly calculation indices (MCI). In 2026, this amounts to 2,162,500 tenge.
Furthermore, the law provides for monthly payments to family members of servicemen who died due to injuries sustained in the line of duty. Expenses for the transportation of bodies, burial, and the installation of monuments are covered by the department in which the deceased served.
A designated specialist must be assigned to each family. Relatives are also being provided with financial and psychological assistance.
Kazakhstan People's Council
Members of the Kazakhstan People's Council initially announced 815 million tenge in aid. This figure was cited when the deaths of 12 servicemen were officially confirmed while the search for two others continued.
Additionally, Andrey Lavrentyev and Shakhmurat Mutalip announced their intention to allocate 25 million tenge to each family of the deceased. After the death toll rose to 14, the council did not publicly release an updated total figure.
Charitable Foundations
The Halyk Charity Foundation and the Bulat Utemuratov Foundation announced aid in the amount of 25 million tenge for each of the 14 families. Thus, each foundation has pledged 350 million tenge in support.
Halyk Bank also reported that it will write off the debts of the deceased conscripts owed to the bank.
Lawmakers and Political Parties
Members of the Adilet party and its Business Council announced the allocation of 1.5 billion tenge to the families of the deceased and injured servicemen.
Members of the Kurultai decided to contribute 146,650,000 tenge from their personal funds to the families of the victims.
The Respublica party reported allocating 100 million tenge to the families of the dead and injured. The Ak Zhol party stated that small and medium-sized business entrepreneurs have collected more than 50 million tenge.
Business and Banking
The Beles construction company announced an allocation of 100 million tenge. Several Kazakhstani media outlets reported 20 million tenge in aid from Bank RBK for the families, though no separate announcement has appeared on the bank's official website.
The KazMunayGas group of companies stated they would provide necessary support to the families, though they did not specify the amount or format of the assistance.
Representatives of the Association of Microfinance Organizations also stated they would check for loans held by the deceased servicemen and their family members and intend to write off any existing debt.
Airlines
Air Astana and FlyArystan provided free tickets to the immediate relatives of the deceased and surviving servicemen, as well as to the victims themselves.
Assistance via Special Fund
On September 25, the Mangystau Region Akimat designated the "Ulttyq Rukh" public association as the sole operator for aid collection. A special commission was established to distribute the funds.
On September 26, commission head Bekmurat Zhusupov announced that the necessary funds had been raised and the collection was closed.
However, as of September 29, the exact amount actually received by the fund has not been publicly disclosed. It was also not reported exactly how much each of the 14 families will receive or whether the actual transfer of funds has begun.
Total Announced Assistance
Adding up the publicly announced figures results in a total of over 3.43 billion tenge. If the promises of two Kazakhstan People's Council members to pay 25 million tenge per family extend to all 14 families, the estimated total increases to approximately 3.53 billion tenge.
However, this figure cannot be considered final. A significant portion is intended not only for the families of the deceased but also for injured service members. Not all announcements signify that the funds have already been disbursed: some reports refer to allocated funds, while others speak of an intent to provide aid. Some of the money is channeled through a special fund, while some goes directly to the families. Furthermore, since some entrepreneurs are also members of political parties, the People's Council of Kazakhstan, and other associations, certain amounts may overlap.