Ukraine’s Air defenses Are Strained, But Not Broken, Experts Say
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By daniel Estrin
KYIV, Ukraine – As Russia intensifies it’s aerial attacks on Ukraine, targeting critical infrastructure and civilian areas, the country’s air defenses are facing their most severe test yet. While Ukraine continues to intercept a notable number of incoming missiles and drones,experts warn that its systems are being stretched thin and require continued Western support to remain effective.
“They are under immense pressure,” says michael Kofman, a senior fellow at the Carnegie Endowment for International Peace, specializing in Russian military analysis. “The sheer volume of attacks is designed to overwhelm the system, and it’s working to some extent.”
Russia has shifted tactics in recent months, relying heavily on Shahed drones – relatively cheap and Iranian-made – launched in massive waves alongside cruise and ballistic missiles. This mixed approach forces Ukraine to expend multiple interceptor missiles on each incoming threat, depleting its stockpiles.
“The Ukrainians are very good at what they do, but there’s a limit to how much they can shoot down,” explains retired U.S. Air Force Gen. Philip Breedlove, a former NATO supreme allied commander. “Every interceptor they use is one less they have for the next attack.”
Ukraine’s air defense network is a layered system, comprised of soviet-era systems like the S-300, as well as more modern Western-supplied weapons like the U.S.-made Patriot missile system and the German-made IRIS-T. The Patriots are especially valuable, capable of intercepting advanced ballistic missiles, but there are only a limited number deployed in Ukraine.
The effectiveness of Ukraine’s air defenses is crucial not only for protecting its cities and infrastructure, but also for maintaining morale.Triumphant interceptions demonstrate Ukraine’s resilience and its ability to defend itself against Russian aggression.
However, sustaining this defense requires a constant flow of aid from Western allies. Ukraine is pleading for more interceptor missiles, as well as components to repair existing systems.
“The situation is critical,” says a Ukrainian military official, speaking on condition of anonymity. “We need more assistance, and we need it now.”
The recent U.S. aid package, stalled in Congress for months, is vital. Without it, Ukraine’s ability to defend itself will be severely compromised.
experts say that even with continued support, Ukraine will likely face challenging choices about which targets to prioritize. It may be unfeasible to intercept every incoming threat, forcing Ukraine to focus on protecting the most critical infrastructure and population centers.
“They’re going to have to make some tough decisions,” says Kofman. “They can’t be everywhere at once.”
Despite the challenges, Ukraine’s air defenses have proven remarkably resilient. They have prevented Russia from achieving air superiority and have inflicted significant losses on the Russian air force. but as the war continues, the strain on the system will only increase, making continued Western support more critical than ever.
Landlords Settle DOJ Antitrust Case Over Rent-pricing Software
Landlords could no longer rely on rent-pricing software to quietly track each other’s moves and push rents higher using confidential data, under a settlement between RealPage Inc. and federal prosecutors to end what critics said was illegal “algorithmic collusion.”
RealPage Settles DOJ Antitrust Lawsuit Over Rental Pricing Software
the Department of Justice announced a settlement Monday with RealPage, a Texas-based software company, following a yearlong federal antitrust lawsuit. The lawsuit,launched during the Biden administration,alleged anti-competitive practices related to the company’s rental pricing software. RealPage will not be required to pay damages or admit wrongdoing, pending judicial approval of the settlement.
RealPage’s software provides landlords with daily recommendations to price apartments. While landlords aren’t obligated to follow these suggestions, critics contend the software leverages a vast amount of confidential data to maximize rental income for its clients.
“RealPage was replacing competition with coordination, and renters paid the price,” stated DOJ antitrust chief Gail Slater, highlighting the settlement’s avoidance of a lengthy and expensive trial.
The settlement prohibits RealPage from using real-time data to generate pricing recommendations. The software’s algorithm can only be trained using nonpublic data at least one year old.
“What does this mean for you and your family?” Slater asked in a video statement.”It means more real competition in local housing markets. It means rents set by the market, not by a secret algorithm.”
RealPage attorney Stephen Weissman expressed the company’s satisfaction with the collaborative settlement reached with the DOJ.
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For years, landlords across the country have been using artificial intelligence software made by RealPage to set rental prices. Now, they’re facing a wave of lawsuits and settlements alleging the software was used to illegally inflate rents.
The lawsuits claim RealPage’s software, marketed as a way to maximize profits, used algorithms to coordinate pricing among landlords, effectively acting as a cartel. Plaintiffs allege this led to artificially high rents and reduced housing options for renters.
“What RealPage did was create a digital landlord cartel,” says Brent Landen, an attorney representing tenants in the lawsuits. “They took competitive details from landlords and fed it into an algorithm that told them all to raise rents in lockstep.”
RealPage denies the allegations,arguing its software is a legitimate tool for property management and does not facilitate collusion. The company maintains that the software uses publicly available data and
aggregated and anonymized nonpublic data, which include rents that are typically lower than advertised rents, has led to lower rents, less vacancies, and more procompetitive effects.”
Over the past few months, more than two dozen property management companies have reached various settlements over their use of RealPage, including Greystar, the nation’s largest landlord, which agreed to pay $50 million to settle a class action lawsuit, and $7 million to settle a separate lawsuit filed by nine states.
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