President Kassym-Jomart Tokayev has appointed Kuanyshbek Ushtayev as Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan.

The appointment was announced in a statement published by the Kazakh president’s press service, The Caspian Post reports.

“By the order of the Head of State, Ushtayev Kuanyshbek Uskenbayevich was appointed Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of the Republic of Kazakhstan,” the order said.

In a separate order, Tokayev relieved Mereke Kuchekbayev of his position as Commander-in-Chief of the Ground Forces of the Armed Forces of Kazakhstan.

Ushtayev was born on Oct. 5, 1976, in Kazakhstan’s Zhambyl region. He graduated from the Almaty Higher Military School in 1997, the National Defense University in 2009 and the Military Academy of the General Staff of the Armed Forces of the Russian Federation in 2018.

He has held various positions in Kazakhstan’s Armed Forces, including commander of motorized rifle and airborne assault battalions and commander of several military units.

From 2015, Ushtayev served as Deputy Commander of the Southern Regional Command for Combat Training and headed its Combat Training Department. In 2018, he was appointed Chief of Staff and First Deputy Commander of the Eastern Regional Command.

Ushtayev headed the Eastern Regional Command from 2022 until Nov. 14, 2023. He then served as Commander of the Southern Regional Command from Nov. 14, 2023, until Nov. 26, 2024.