The operational headquarters in Aktau reported that prior to the crash, the Embraer 190 was preparing for an emergency landing in direct mode following a failure of the control system and its backups. The aircraft was en route from Baku to Grozny. According to the official version, due to fog (though another version suggests a threat of drone attacks), the flight was redirected first to Makhachkala and then to Aktau.
The number of deceased and injured is being clarified. The Ministry of Emergency Situations of Kazakhstan believes that there may be over 40 casualties. More than 20 survivors were taken to hospitals after the aviation disaster. According to Tengrinews, there were 16 Russian citizens, 37 Azerbaijani citizens, six Kazakh citizens, and three from Kyrgyzstan on board. Medical and rescue teams have arrived at the crash site.
The aircraft was operating a regular flight from Baku to Grozny. As reported by the media, the cause of the emergency situation on board was a bird strike. As a result, the commander of the aircraft decided to divert to a backup airport, which was chosen to be Aktau.