Skip to content

The security situation in Kazakhstan is not entirely stable, due to the country’s political and economic situation (nationwide protests took place in early 2022).1 As of 2023, reports state that armed violence and human rights violations persist in the country.2 Despite this instability, Kazakhstan has low levels of weapons and ammunition trafficking.3 The exact level of unexploded ordnance contamination in the country is unclear.4

The Organization for Security and Co-operation in Europe (OSCE) and ITF Enhancing Human Security support the Kazakh Ministry of Defence with the through-life management of ammunition. Efforts have mainly focused on building capacity for the disposal of surplus weapons and ammunition, as well as advising on best practices to improve safety and security in ammunition management processes.5


1 “Behind the Unrest in Kazakhstan,” Crisis Group, January 14, 2022, https://www.crisisgroup.org/europe-central-asia/central-asia/kazakhstan/behind-unrest-kazakhstan.

2 “World Report 2023: Kazakhstan Events of 2022,” Human Rights Watch, accessed September 11, 2023, https://www.hrw.org/world-report/2023/country-chapters/kazakhstan.

3 Philip Alpers, Jean Claude Kabuiku and Amélie Rossett, Kazakhstan – Gun Facts, Figures and the Law (GunPolicy.org, Sydney School of Public Health, University of Sydney, 2022) https://www.gunpolicy.org/firearms/region/kazakhstan.

4 “Kazakhstan,” Landmine & Cluster Munition Monitor, accessed September 6, 2022, http://the-monitor.org/en-gb/reports/2020/kazakhstan/view-all.aspx.

5 “Ammunition Management Activity Platform (A-MAP),” GICHD, 2022, https://a-map.gichd.org.

Launch the country dashboard

Map of Kazakhstan

Further information

Accidental explosions

Since the Small Arms Survey began collecting data in 1979, numerous accidental explosions have been reported in Kazakhstan.

Table 1. Accidental explosions in Kazakhstan (1979–2021)

Year

Location

Owner/manager

Deaths

Injuries

2021

Taraz

State (military)

12

90

2019

Arys

State (military)

3

77

2019

Arys

State (military)

0

10

2010

Zhambyl

State (military)

0

0

2009

Almaty

State (military)

1

N/A

2009

Arys

Non-state (company)

5

15

2001

Almaty

State (military)

0

0

2001

Balkhash

State (military)

N/A

N/A

Source: “Unplanned Explosions at Munitions Sites (UEMS) Database,” Small Arms Survey, updated December 15, 2021, https://smallarmssurvey.org/database/unplanned-explosions-munitions-sites-uems.

Cases of diversion

Several cases of diversion have been reported since 2000 in Kazakhstan.

Table 2. Cases of diversion of arms, ammunition and explosives in Kazakhstan since 2000

Year

Location

Description

2022

N/A

Approximately 1,300 service weapons were stolen during nationwide protests.

2000

Almaty

A police officer was demoted for stealing firearms from his colleagues.

Source: Assem Assaniyaz, “January Riots in Kazakhstan: Police Discovers Only One-Third of Stolen Weapons,” Astana Times, August 17, 2022. https://astanatimes.com/2022/08/january-riots-police-discovers-only-one-third-of-stolen-weapons/; Chris Benevento,“Kazakhstan: Former Cop Headed Massive Car Theft Ring,” Organized Crime and Corruption Reporting Project (OCCRP), October 24, 2016, https://www.occrp.org/en/daily/5737-kazakhstan-former-cop-headed-massive-car-theft-ring.

Disposal

Insufficient information on disposal of ammunition in Kazakhstan.

Needs

No needs have been reported for Kazakhstan.1


1 Kazakhstan, National Report on the Implementation of the Programme of Action on Small Arms and Light Weapons (PoA) and the International Tracing Instrument (ITI), (New York: Permanent Mission of Kazakhstan to the UN, 2022), https://smallarms.un-arm.org/country-profiles/KAZ.

Published Date: Monday 6 of November 2023