On the evening of August 11, residents of Aktau witnessed the flyover of a military Su-27 fighter jet and an unmanned aerial vehicle. Eyewitnesses captured the events on video, reports infohub.kz.
It is noted that the Su-27 fighter was seen in the sky over the city that same evening. Additionally, a drone was spotted over the village of Akshukur. According to eyewitnesses, the UAV was flying from the direction of the airport towards Aktau.
The Ministry of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan explained that they had previously informed citizens about the strategic command-and-staff exercise "Batyl Toitarys – 2026" scheduled for August and September 2026. As part of the preparation for the exercise, the movement of weapons, military equipment, and personnel to the areas of combat training activities is being carried out across the country.
The troop deployment is conducted in a combined manner – by rail, by road convoys on public highways, and using army aviation. The exercise is comprehensive and covers training grounds throughout Kazakhstan. During the maneuvers, the military practices the use of troops and inter-service interaction on land, in the air, at sea, and in cyberspace.
"The measures being taken are planned and aimed at improving the combat training of servicemen, enhancing the interaction of military command bodies, and practicing modern methods of using the Armed Forces," the statement said.
In this regard, residents were urged to remain calm, rely on official information, and not spread unverified reports. The ministry also reminded about the responsibility for spreading deliberately false information and unreliable data.