Russia’s grip on Kherson slips as civilians flee Ukraine counteroffensive
GuardianOct 23, 2022
For the second time in a week, a Russian fighter jet has crashed in Russian territory, slamming into residential buildings and igniting a large blaze. Russian officials said Sunday's crash in the Siberian region of Irkutsk killed both pilots on board, but that no civilians were harmed.
It comes following a crash in the Yeysk region last Monday, which authorities said killed 15 civilians and injured 19. Officials have stated that criminal investigations to determine the causes of both crashes have been opened.
Now that civilians are being ordered to flee Kherson, it's clear that Russian authorities are losing their grip on the region and don't foresee their return — even Moscow sees that the Ukrainian counteroffensive will inevitably force the occupiers to retreat.
Russian forces are maintaining control over the Kherson region and continuing to repel attacks. Meanwhile, Ukrainian forces are incurring heavy losses as they unsuccessfully attempt to advance.
There's a 50% chance that Ukraine will regain control of Kherson by Dec. 16, 2022, according to the Metaculus prediction community.