Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin off the coast of Cuba, 31 March 2026. Photo: Getty Images
Russian tanker delivers large oil shipment to Cuba despite US sanctions
A Russian tanker has brought hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude oil to Cuba, easing an energy crisis while navigating US sanctions.
Ukrainska Pravda
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A Russian-flagged tanker has delivered approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil to a Cuban oil terminal in Matanzas, marking the first such delivery since the US tightened its energy blockade of the island.
Source: Reuters
Details: The tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, which is subject to US sanctions, entered Cuban territorial waters near the US naval base at Guantanamo Bay. US authorities said they had allowed the shipment to proceed solely on humanitarian grounds.
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the island had not received fuel for three months. This has led to a severe energy crisis that has disrupted the country's electricity supply, healthcare services, public transport and agriculture.
The vessel delivered Russian Urals crude – a medium-density, high-sulphur oil well suited to Cuba's ageing refineries.
Cuba's Foreign Ministry said refining and distribution of the fuel across the domestic market would take between 25 and 35 days.
Around 40% of the oil will be used to produce fuel oil for power plants, 35% will be refined into diesel and the remainder into petrol and household gas. US officials said any future shipments would be considered on a "case-by-case basis".
When asked about further assistance, Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said that "in the desperate situation that Cubans now find themselves in, this, of course, cannot leave us indifferent, so we will continue to work on this."
Background:
US President Donald Trump's administration significantly increased pressure on Cuba at the beginning of 2026.
The US blocked exports of Venezuelan oil to Cuba after the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro on 3 January. Trump later threatened to impose punitive tariffs on any country supplying crude oil to Cuba.
Trump said on 29 March that he does not oppose a Russian-flagged oil tanker reaching Cuba, even though such a move would violate the fuel blockade imposed by his administration.
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