Translated with AI
On June 8, President of the Republic of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev signed a decree dismissing Ruslan Zhaksylykov from the post of Minister of Defense of the country. The corresponding order was published on the official website of the head of state.
Zhaksylykov has headed the Defense Ministry since January 2022, having been appointed shortly after large-scale protests and unrest caused by rising prices for liquefied gas. Before that, he served as deputy interior minister and commander of the National Guard of Kazakhstan.
During his tenure as Minister of Defense, the department repeatedly encountered situations that caused wide public resonance. In particular, the media and parliament voiced criticism in connection with incidents in the Kazakh army, including cases of deaths of servicemen and suicides. Despite this, the official reason for Zhaksylykov's dismissal from office has not yet been announced.
Dauren Kosanov, who previously held the post of Deputy Minister of Defense and Commander-in-Chief of the Air Defense Forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan, has been appointed the new Minister of Defense of Kazakhstan.
On the same day, the president also dismissed Transport Minister Marat Karabayev. His successor has not yet been appointed.
