Russia has sent two tankers with oil and fuel to Cuba. The move comes as the island faces an energy blockade linked to U.S. pressure.
Details
Financial Times reports that one of the tankers, Sea Horse, sails under a Hong Kong flag. It carries about 200,000 barrels of diesel fuel. The cargo was loaded from another tanker near Cyprus. The vessel left the Mediterranean Sea on February 13. It then crossed the Atlantic heading west. From late February to early March, it slowed down and followed an irregular route. In February, it changed course toward Cuba and is expected to arrive on March 30.
Another tanker, Anatoly Kolodkin, sails under the Russian flag. It carries around 730,000 barrels of crude oil. The ship belongs to Sovcomflot, a state-owned Russian shipping firm. The tanker is under sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Maritime analytics firm Kpler reports that the vessel was expected to unload at the Matanzas oil terminal in northern Cuba around March 23. It is now scheduled to arrive on April 4.
Blackout in Cuba
If the tankers reach Cuba, this will be the first energy supply to the island in three months. Cuba last received oil from Mexico on January 9. Since then, supplies have stopped. Venezuela, a long-time ally of Cuba, has not delivered oil since December 2025.
Shipments halted after U.S. forces detained Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro in January. After that, Donald Trump increased pressure on Cuba. He threatened tariffs on any country that buys Venezuelan oil. He also said Cuba would receive “no more oil or money.”
On March 17, CNN reported a nationwide blackout in Cuba. It followed weeks of oil shortages. Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel said the country has not received any oil shipments in the past three months. He warned that the energy crisis is causing public concern.
In this context, Trump suggested the idea of “taking Cuba.”
“That’s a big honor. Taking Cuba in some form, yeah, taking Cuba — I mean, whether I free it, take it, I think I can do anything I want with it,” he said.
However, Trump did not clarify whether any U.S. operation in Cuba would resemble the January detention of Maduro or a potential military conflict with Iran.
Earlier, The Ukrainian Review reported that Trump called on allies to help reopen the Strait of Hormuz for tankers. Around one-fifth of global oil supply passes through it. Any disruption could significantly affect energy prices.
