President of Kazakhstan Kassym-Jomart Tokayev appointed Murat Bektanov as the country's Defense Minister. This is stated on August 31 in a message published on the website of the Kazakh leader.
"To appoint Murat Karibayevich Bektanov as the Minister of Defense of the Republic of Kazakhstan," Tokayev's decree says.
By the order of the President of Kazakhstan, earlier on the same day, Bektanov was dismissed from the post of the first Deputy Minister of Defense of the republic — the chief of the General Staff of the Armed Forces.
Also on Tuesday, Tokayev accepted the resignation of Defense Minister Nurlan Yermekbayev.
The resignation of the Minister of Defense of Kazakhstan was preceded by explosions and fires that occurred on August 26 at a warehouse in a military unit near the Kazakh city of Taraz in the Zhambyl region. Mainly engineering ammunition, which does not have a long range of flight, was stored there.
The next day, Yermekbayev announced his intention to resign. At the same time, the first president of Kazakhstan, the chairman of the Security Council, Nursultan Nazarbayev, expressed his condolences to the relatives of those killed in the explosions.
As of August 28, 13 people were killed as a result of the incident. Another explosion was reported on August 29. No one was injured.
Tokayev declared August 29 a day of national mourning. He signed decrees on awarding the Orders of "Valor" ("Aybin") and awarding the title of"People's Hero" ("Halyk Kakharmany") to servicemen and rescuers who died during the liquidation of the fire.
Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed his condolences to the Kazakh leader in connection with the explosions at ammunition depots that killed people.
