Zhanbolat Usenov, the official spokesperson for the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Kazakhstan, stated that reports claiming 14 Kazakh citizens were delivered from a combat zone to Kazakhstan's embassy in Russia are false, according to infohub.kz.
According to him, spreading unverified information about Kazakh citizens in a combat zone is unacceptable. Such publications mislead families awaiting news of their loved ones, create false expectations, and could complicate the ministry's efforts to protect citizens.
At the same time, the foreign ministry continues to engage with the Russian side at various levels. The matter remains under constant review, and the ministry will provide further updates on the results of this work.
"We urge citizens and media representatives to trust only official sources. We remind you that the legislation of the Republic of Kazakhstan provides for liability for spreading knowingly false information," Usenov noted.
Recall that a 19-year-old resident of Shymkent said he and his friends were sent to war in Ukraine instead of the promised job at a security agency in Russia. According to him, the young men were forced under threats to sign military contracts. In response to a request from Kursiv, Kazakhstan's Foreign Ministry said it had sent a diplomatic note to the Russian side.
Later, consultations with Russia began on returning the Kazakh citizens home. The official spokesperson said that to provide assistance, the ministry needs complete and reliable information directly from the citizens themselves or their relatives, not just from media reports.
To ensure legal protection, the Foreign Ministry requested the citizens' last and first names, dates of birth, presumed location, and details of the terms of their employment contracts. A special hotline has also been set up at the ministry for relatives of Kazakh citizens who ended up in the combat zone.
Earlier, Kursiv reported that on October 2, Kazakhstan's foreign minister met with Russia's chargé d'affaires in Kazakhstan. In the near future, Kazakhstan's ambassador to Russia will hold meetings with the leadership of the Russian ministries of foreign affairs and defense.