Kazakhstan's Ministry of Internal Affairs issued an official statement refuting several false claims circulating on social media about the Caspian Sea tragedy, in which 14 servicemen died during exercises. The ministry also reported that individuals who spread the misinformation have been held accountable, according to infohub.kz.
The ministry published a statement on its official Telegram channel about the fakes that spread widely online after the Caspian tragedy, which claimed the lives of 14 people.
According to the ministry, citizens D.S. and G.S. posted on their Facebook pages information about serviceman A.A., claiming that he had supposedly swum to shore on his own, saved a drowning comrade, and that his feat and the circumstances of the rescue were being deliberately concealed. An investigation found that D.S. had received the information from distant relatives, while G.S. said she had taken it from social media and posted it on her page without verifying its accuracy. Police stressed that the claims were false and had been officially refuted by the Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan.
It is worth noting that this refers to a statement by the Defense Ministry made after rumors about conscript sailors Akhmetov A.A. and Mağauiia Ä.A. At the time, the Defense Ministry said they were part of a group of servicemen performing training tasks on shore, and the rumors about them were fake. The Interior Ministry added that social media claims that A.A. had swum to shore on his own, saved a drowning comrade, and that information about his feat was being deliberately concealed were untrue.
In addition, according to the Interior Ministry, Shymkent resident S.K. and Kokshetau resident K.O. were also identified as having spread false information about the incident. S.K. posted false claims on her Facebook page about the alleged death of another serviceman, saying his relatives were being pressured and asked for money. K.O., in turn, posted false information about the death of another serviceman in Mangystau Region, the ministry added.
A court ruled that these individuals were held administratively liable and fined 20 MCI (86,500 tenge in 2026 — editor's note).
Police again warned Kazakhstanis that spreading false information, including by reposting others' materials, does not exempt one from liability. "A reference to a third-party source is not grounds for spreading unverified information that could affect the rights and legitimate interests of citizens. Police urge social media users to take a responsible approach to posting information, verify the accuracy of what they share, and refrain from publishing unconfirmed information," the statement said.
Recall that on September 24, during a combat training task, sudden and sharp deterioration of weather conditions and gusty winds swept 17 servicemen into the Caspian Sea, 14 of whom died. Three were rescued. After the tragedy, Däuren Qosanov was dismissed from his post as Minister of Defense. Aidos Myrzakhmetov was appointed in his place.