Havana, Cuba – Web Desk: A Russian oil tanker under U.S. sanctions is nearing Cuba with a large crude shipment, directly challenging a de facto American oil blockade that has deepened the Caribbean island’s energy crisis. The vessel, Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying approximately 730,000 barrels of crude, was positioned off Cuba’s eastern coast and expected to dock at Matanzas port by early this week, ship tracking data showed.
The movement of the tanker comes after months of dwindling fuel supplies in Cuba, exacerbated by the United States effectively cutting off oil deliveries following the disruption of Venezuelan exports when Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was captured in January and subsequent U.S. threats against nations that send fuel to the island.
U.S. President Donald Trump has signaled a shift in Washington’s stance, stating that he has “no problem” with countries, including Russia, sending oil to Cuba to help the energy-starved population, even as the broader embargo remains in place. Trump suggested that allowing fuel shipments would ease the humanitarian crisis without affecting broader geopolitical goals.
Cuba has endured severe fuel shortages since January, prompting emergency rationing, soaring fuel prices, reduced public transport, and repeated nationwide power blackouts that have disrupted daily life and critical services.
Analysts say the Russian oil could provide temporary relief for diesel and other refined fuels once processed, although the impact will be limited without sustained energy imports. The delivery may also reflect broader geopolitical tensions involving U.S.-Russia rivalries, Cuba’s close ties with Moscow, and shifting global alliances amid wider instability in energy markets
