The Kazakh Ground Forces (; ) is the ground warfare branch of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan. It is one of the three uniformed military services, and the most senior branch of the Kazakh military in order of precedence. The main tasks of the Ground Forces include the following: maintaining the readiness of troops to repel aggression, the armed defense of the territorial integrity and sovereignty of Kazakhstan, protecting the state and military facilities, peacekeeping missions. In its duties, it primarily engages in land warfare and combined arms operations, including armored and mechanized operations as well as airborne and air assault operations. It is headed by a chief military officer, the commander of the Ground Forces, who is also a member of the General Staff.
History
Soviet era Many large units of the Turkestan Military District were redeployed from the Turkmen SSR to Eastern Kazakhstan back in the 1960s. Immediately prior to its dissolution, the 40th Army (Soviet Union), the former 32nd Army, consisted of the 78th Tank Division, the 5202nd Base for Storage of Weapons and Equipment (prior to 1989, the 71st Motor Rifle Division), the 5203rd Storage Base in Ust-Kamenogorsk (prior to 1989, the 155th Motor Rifle Division), the 5204th Storage Bade at Karaganda (prior to 1989, the 203rd Zaporozhye Khingan Motor Rifle Division), the 69th Tank Division and the 10th Fortified Area.Michael Holm, 32nd Combined Arms Army, 2015. The 69th Tank Division and the 10th Fortified Area were both disbanded in 1992.
The 57th Separate Airborne Brigade based in Aktogay, East Kazakhstan Region was the only unit of the Soviet Airborne Forces based in Kazakhstan.
Post-independence The Kazakh Army was founded on 9 April 1993, by the order of Defense Minister Sagadat Nurmagambetov. It followed the enacting of the law, "On Defense and Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan", which is the legal basis for the Kazakh military structure. The former Soviet structure of troops was preserved, with the Kazakh Army being made up of the Soviet 32nd Army, which had been serving in the Kazakh Soviet Socialist Republic for many years before it came under Kazakh government control in May 1992. That month, on the basis of the 5203rd Military Equipment Storage Base (formerly the 155th Motorized Rifle Division), the 511th Motorized Rifle Regiment was re-formed with a deployment in the settlement. Georgievka, Semipalatinsk Region.
In the mid-1990s, the Kazakh Ground Forces included the 1st Army Corps (HQ Semipalatinsk), the 68th Motor Rifle Division (Sary-Ozek in the Kyzylorda Province), with 2 motor-rifle and one tank regiments, and the 78th Tank Division (HQ Ayaguz).Machine translated and cleaned up from a Russian source at http://www.nomad.su/?a=2-200205081022, 'Military-political safety of Kazakhstan' The IISS reported that as of 1 June 1995 Kazakh ground forces included a corps HQ; a tank division; an artillery brigade; two motor-rifle divisions (one training); an artillery regiment; an independent motor rifle regiment; a multiple rocket launcher brigade with BM-21 and 9P140 "Urugan,"; and an air assault brigade. While the 68th Division was called a motor-rifle formation, in equipment terms it had almost 300 tanks and about 500 armored fighting vehicles. The 78th Tank Division had 350 tanks, 290 armored fighting vehicle, and 150 artillery pieces. The 210th Guards Training Center (often called the Division of Guards by Kazakh sources), had 6,000 soldiers and officers 220 tanks, and 220 artillery pieces, so was a strengthened division. In 1997, the 2nd Army Corps was created with headquarters in Almaty, under which all units and formations in the Almaty, Zhambyl and South Kazakhstan regions were transferred.
On 17 November 1997, the General Purpose Forces were formed. In 2000, on the basis of the 35th Guards Airborne Assault Brigade, the Mobile Forces of the Armed Forces were created, which in 2003 were renamed into Airmobile Forces as part of the Ground Forces. In 2015, Airmobile Troops were renamed Air Assault Troops. Since 2002, the ground forces have begun the transition to a brigade structure. In this regard, there was a process of disbandment of divisions and the creation of brigades on the basis of regiments.
Structure
Regional commands On July 6, 2000, military districts () were created to control the ground forces:
Central Military District (HQ Karaganda) Eastern Military District (HQ Semey) Western Military District (HQ Atyrau) Southern Military District (HQ Taraz)
The Eastern Military District was formed on the basis of the administration of the 1st Army Corps. The Directorate of the Southern Military District (Military Unit 03858) was created in Taraz on 15 September 2000, on the basis of the directorate of the 2nd Army Corps and the Directorate of the Ground Forces. On 7 May 2003, the military districts were renamed into regional commands () Currently, the ground forces include four regional commands:Most specific unit information, including military unit numbers, locations, etc. is sourced from Vad777, Regional Command "Astana" (HQ Karaganda) Regional Command "East" (HQ Semey) Regional Command "West" (HQ Atyrau) Regional Command "South" (HQ Taraz)
Each of the commands have the following general composition:
One mechanized division (comprising three tank regiments and one artillery regiment) One motor rifle division (comprising one tank brigade, two motor rifle regiments, and one artillery regiment) One training center with two motor rifle regiments One motor rifle training regiment One tank training regiment One artillery regiment Three independent motor rifle brigades Two artillery brigades One engineer brigade
Regional Command "Astana" It is located within the administrative boundaries of Akmola, Karagandy Province, Kostanay Province and North Kazakhstan. The command acts as the Supreme Commander's reserve. The District includes the following units:Most specific unit information, including military unit numbers, locations, etc. is sourced from Vad777, Kazakh Ground Forces , accessed February 2010
7th Separate Motor Rifle Brigade at Karaganda Reconnaissance Regiment at Aktas 401st Cannon Artillery Brigade at Ungurtas 402nd Rocket Artillery Brigade at Priozersk 403rd Anti-tank Artillery Brigade at Priozersk Training Center for Combat Training of Junior Specialists and the Reserve at Spassk Missile Forces and Artillery Training Center at Priozersk
The command has had the following commanders:
Major General Vladimir Shatskov (September 2003–March 2010) Major General Muslim Altynbaev (March 2010–July 2013) Major General Sultan Kamaletdinov (July 2013–November 2016) Major General Kaidar Karakulov (November 2016–April 2018) Major General Dulat Adyrbekov (April 2018–December 2019) Colonel Mereke Kuchekbaev (January 2020–June 2021) Major General Shaikh-Hasan Zhazykbaev (June 2021–November 2023) Major General Erzhan Ibraev (November 2023–November 2024) Colonel Makhsut Guseinov (November 2024–April 2026) Colonel Baglan Userbaev (since April 2026)
Regional Command "East" It is located within the administrative boundaries of East Kazakhstan and Pavlodar Province (Families, Ust-Kamenogorsk, George, and Ayagoz Usharalsky Garrisons). The District has the following units:
3rd Mechanized Brigade (formerly the 78th Tank Division) at Ayaguz 3rd Separate Motor Rifle Brigade at Usharal (Military Unit No.40398, formed on the basis of a motor rifle regiment of the 155th Motor Rifle Division) 4th Mechanized Brigade at Novo-Akhmirovo, Ust-Kamenogorsk (Military Unit No.27943) 8th Mechanized Brigade at Semey. On 14 November 2016 the brigade, Military Unit 30217, celebrated the 27th anniversary of its originator, the 71st Motor Rifle Division. 11th Tank Brigade at Ayagoz 34th Artillery Brigade at Usharal 101st Missile Brigade at Semey 102nd Rocket Artillery Brigade at Semey 103rd Cannon Artillery Brigade at Semey Separate Reconnaissance Regiment at Semey Separate Communications Brigade at Semey Artillery Brigade Air Defence Missile Brigade Three Storage Bases
The command has had the following commanders:
Lieutenant General Bulat Janasayev (September 2003–December 2004) Major General Saken Zhasuzakov (December 2004–April 2007) Lieutenant General Nikolai Pospelov (April 2007–March 2010) Major General Vasily Rysbayev (March 2010–July 2013) Major General Murat Bektanov (July 2013–June 2016) Major General Nurlan Kashaganov (June 2016–September 2019) Major General Asan Zhusupov (September 2019–April 2022) Major General Kuanyshbek Ushtaev (April 2022–November 2023) Major General Zhenis Maralov (since November 2023)
Regional Command "West" It is located within the administrative boundaries of the West Kazakhstan Province, Aktobe Province, Atyrau Province and Mangystau Province. The main task is ensuring the integrity of state borders, territorial integrity, sovereignty and economic interests of Kazakhstan in the Kazakh sector of the Caspian Sea. The District has the following units:
100th Artillery Brigade at Aktobe (reportedly the former 2028th VKhVT with в/ч 32355) Separate Motorized Rifle Battalion at Aktobe 390th Guards Naval Infantry Brigade at Aktau Separate Reconnaissance Regiment at Atyrau Separate Motorized Rifle Battalion at Beineu Separate Motor Rifle Brigade Artillery Brigade
The command has had the following commanders:
Rear Admiral Ratmir Komratov (September 2003–November 2008) Major General Alimzhan Erniyazov (November 2008–July 2009) Major General Amir Khalikov (July 2009–July 2013) Colonel Murat Nugmanov (July 2013–September 2015) Colonel Daulet Ospanov (October 2015–December 2017) Major General Kanysh Abubakirov (December 2017–May 2019) Major General Nurlan Aldiyarov (May 2019–June 2022) Major General Daulet Ospanov (June 2022–February 2024) Major General Bauyrzhan Artykov (February 2024–March 2026) Colonel Nurlan Karibaev (since April 2026)
Regional Command "South" It is located within the administrative boundaries of Almaty Province, Zhambyl Province, South Kazakhstan Province and Kyzylorda Province. The district's main task is ensuring security in the southeastern borders of the country. The District includes the following:
5th Mountain Rifle Brigade at Taraz Separate Motor Rifle Battalion at Lugovoi Separate Tank Battalion at Lugovoi Separate Reconnaissance Battalion at Lugovoi Separate Motor Rifle Battalion at Merke 6th Mechanized Brigade at Shymkent Separate Mountain-Jaeger Regiment 40th Otar Military Base 12th Mechanized Brigade 54th Guards Artillery Brigade 23rd Engineer Brigade Training Center of the Ground Forces named after Karasai Batyr 221st Separate Communications Brigade at Taraz 232nd Engineer Brigade at Kapchagai
The command has had the following commanders:
Major General Uali Elamanov (September 2003—May 2004) Major General Bakhtiyar Syzdykov (May 2004—April 2007) Lieutenant General Bulat Darbekov (April 2007—November 2008) Major General Alikhan Dzharbulov (November 2008–February 2012) Major General Talgat Koibakov (February 2012–June 2016) Major General Marat Khusainov (June 2016–May 2019) Major General Kaidar Karakulov (May 2019–March 2022) Major General Mereke Kuchekbaev (March 2022–November 2023) Major General Kuanyshbek Ushtaev (November 2023–November 2024) Major General Erzhan Ibraev (since November 2024)
Air Assault Forces