Russian Oil Tankers Head to Cuba Amid Severe Energy Crisis on Island

Two vessels carrying Russian oil are making their way to Cuba, marking the first fuel deliveries to the island in three months. The shipments come as Cuba faces severe energy shortages with 10-hour blackouts after U.S. sanctions cut off oil supplies from Venezuela and Mexico.

HAVANA (AP) — Two Russian oil tankers are navigating toward Cuba, bringing the island nation’s first fuel deliveries in three months as the country grapples with widespread power outages and a deteriorating electrical infrastructure.

The Russian vessel Anatoly Kolodkin is currently positioned approximately 3,000 nautical miles away in the Atlantic and should arrive within 10 days, according to Jorge Piñón, a specialist with the University of Texas Energy Institute who spoke to The Associated Press.

This delivery would represent Cuba’s first oil arrival from any nation during a three-month period marked by a U.S. energy embargo.

The sanctioned tanker holds 730,000 barrels of fuel and appears on sanctions lists maintained by the United States, European Union, and United Kingdom due to the Ukraine conflict, Piñón explained.

A second ship, the Hong Kong-registered Sea Horse, is also reportedly transporting Russian petroleum to Cuba with roughly 200,000 barrels of diesel aboard, Piñón noted.

He pointed out that Cuba’s daily diesel consumption reaches about 20,000 barrels, meaning the Sea Horse’s cargo won’t fully meet overall diesel needs considering the nation’s depleted storage reserves.

Piñón expects the fuel will primarily serve “critical sectors of the economy,” including transportation and agricultural operations.

The Sea Horse could reach Cuba within four days if that destination is confirmed, he said.

Piñón observed that the vessel remained stationary for 20 days in Atlantic waters before resuming its west-southwestward course. It currently sits roughly 958 nautical miles from Matanzas, Cuba.

Tracking these ships proves challenging because some vessels disable their satellite monitoring systems to avoid detection amid international sanctions and potential U.S. seizure threats, according to experts.

Should either vessel’s arrival be verified, it would mark 2025’s first Russian oil delivery to Cuba. The last detected shipment arrived via the Ocean Mariner carrying 85,000 barrels from Mexico’s Pajaritos port on January 9.

During Thursday Senate testimony, General Francis Donovan, commander of U.S. Southern Command, stated his personnel are monitoring a Russian destroyer accompanied by a fuel “replenishment ship” scheduled for a Cuban port visit. He indicated the oiler’s cargo, even if unloaded, would unlikely significantly impact Cuba’s oil situation.

When questioned by senators, Donovan clarified his command isn’t currently practicing military intervention scenarios in Cuba and focuses solely on safeguarding the U.S. Embassy and Guantanamo Bay military installation, though it can address Caribbean migration or humanitarian emergencies if necessary.

Cuba generates merely 40% of its petroleum needs domestically, relying on Russia, Mexico, and Venezuela for the remainder.

However, essential Venezuelan shipments ceased after the U.S. targeted the South American nation in early January and detained its former president, Nicolás Maduro — a crucial commercial and ideological ally of Cuba.

In late January, President Donald Trump warned of imposing tariffs on any nation selling or providing oil to Cuba. That same month, Mexico suspended its oil exports to the island.

These developments have intensified Cuba’s energy and economic difficulties, resulting in 10-hour power failures, reduced work schedules, limited transportation options, and declining tourism revenues — formerly a primary income source.

The deteriorating conditions have also triggered minor demonstrations.

Cuba has endured a serious economic downturn since this decade’s start due to stricter U.S. sanctions, COVID-19 pandemic effects, and domestic financial reforms that sparked inflation.

Food and medication scarcities have become commonplace for Cuban citizens. These crises have also accelerated emigration, especially among youth and skilled professionals, to the United States, Mexico, and Europe.

This week, European activists participating in an ongoing international assistance convoy delivered over four tons of medical supplies to the island. Additional aid is anticipated Friday by aircraft and Saturday through a large flotilla bringing solar panels, medical equipment, and preserved food gathered by Mexican activists. British Parliament member Jeremy Corbyn and Irish hip-hop group Kneecap are expected among the flotilla passengers traveling to Cuba.

Trump has declared readiness to take Cuba through any necessary means, while the Cuban government, despite acknowledging U.S. discussions, has maintained its sovereign position.