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Russia
Ukrainian Strikes Cut Gas Supply
Ukraine’s deep-strike drone campaign is hitting Russian refineries and chemical plants far from the front, fueling a gasoline crisis that Russia is struggling to contain. Industry tallies indicate that 38 percent of Russia’s primary refining capacity is offline, equal to about 372,581 short tons per day (338,000 tons), with gasoline output down by roughly 1.1 million short tons (1 million tons), or about one-fifth of domestic demand. Shortages now impact more than 20 regions, prompting rationing as strict as 8 gallons (30 liters) per driver. Lines at gas stations stretch for miles as prices soar. Analysts cite overwhelmed air defenses, fragmented responsibility for counter-drone efforts, and scarce surface-to-air missiles. In response, the Kremlin has tried to steady the market with a gasoline export ban and emergency imports.
This map depicts locations of Russian refineries hit by Ukrainian strikes in 2025. Shaded points indicate multiple strikes. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: BBC
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United States-Venezuela
“Armed Conflict” in the Caribbean
U.S. President Donald Trump has declared drug cartels to be unlawful combatants and says the United States is now in an “armed conflict” with them, following recent U.S. strikes on boats in the Caribbean. The U.S. struck several vessels from Venezuela in the Caribbean in recent weeks, killing at least 14 people, highlighting alleged drug trafficking by Venezuelan gangs tied to the government. These allegations have been rejected by Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. The strikes are part of the largest buildup of U.S. maritime forces in the Caribbean in decades, with Puerto Rico as the central base. This week, President Maduro signed a decree granting him additional powers, threatened declaring a “state of emergency,” and carried out military drills. Yesterday, Venezuela criticized what it called an “illegal incursion” by U.S. fighter jets 46 miles (75 km) from its coastline. The United States has set a $50 million bounty on President Maduro’s arrest and has rejected Venezuela’s appeals for talks.
This map depicts the U.S. military’s air and naval assets in the southern Caribbean Sea off Venezuela’s coast. Click on the map to learn more.
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Graphic Source: IEJ Media
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China
Highest Suspension Bridge Opens
The Huajiang Grand Canyon Bridge in China’s Guizhou province officially opened to traffic, setting a new world record as the highest suspension bridge on Earth. Rising 2,050 feet (624 m) above the Beipan River and stretching nearly 10,000 feet (3,048 m) in length, the suspension bridge surpasses the nearby Beipanjiang Bridge, also in Guizhou, and cuts travel time across the canyon from two hours to just two minutes. Built in just over three years, the structure is hailed as a major engineering achievement and a symbol of China’s rapid infrastructure development, featuring a glass walkway, bungee jumping, and a cafe atop one of its towers to attract tourism. The bridge not only improves regional connectivity in one of China’s most mountainous and less developed provinces but also boosts Guizhou’s standing as a global hub for record breaking bridges and ambitious construction projects.
This map depicts the location and features of the Huajiang Canyon Bridge in China, detailing it’s total length, tower height, main span, and deck to river altitude difference. Click on the map to learn more.
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Q: What is the only Mayan city built on a coast?
A: Tulum
Located 131 km (78 miles) south of Cancun in the Quintana Roo state of Mexico, the walled city of Tulum sits on a 40 ft (12 m) cliff overlooking the Caribbean Sea and is thought to date from 400-900 A.D. The city had access to both land and sea trade routes, making it an important trade hub during its height between the 13th and 15th centuries. It was protected on one side by steep sea cliffs and on the landward sides by a wall that averaged about 3–5 meters (9.8–16.4 ft) in height. The city’s strategic location and wall managed to survive for 70 years after the Spanish began occupying Mexico. The very name Tulum is a colonial one and means ‘wall’. The original local name may have been Zama meaning ‘dawn’ in reference to the site’s position facing east across the sea.
Source
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Q: Though this area receives too much precipitation to be consider a true desert, what area of glacial silt bills itself as the eastern-most desert in the United States?
Stay tuned for the answer to today’s question in Monday’s DailyGeo.
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