Russian tanker approaches Cuba defying US oil blockade

(Patria) - A Russian oil tanker under sanctions by the United States is expected to arrive in Cuba today, challenging the de facto US blockade of fuel to the island which is in need of energy, shipping data showed, AFP reported.

The ship Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil, was north of Haiti yesterday and heading for the port of Matanzas in western Cuba, according to maritime analytics firm Kpler.

Cuba lost its main regional ally and oil supplier in January when US forces seized Venezuelan socialist leader Nicolas Maduro.

US President Donald Trump then threatened to impose tariffs on any country sending oil to Cuba and considered "taking over" the communist-ruled island.

Jorge Pinon, an expert on Cuba's energy sector at the University of Texas in Austin, said he was surprised that the US had not tried to intercept the Russian tanker before it got so close to Cuba.

"I think the chances of the United States trying to stop them now are basically gone," Pinon told AFP, although he added that it was difficult to assess what the White House might do.

Once the ship enters Cuban waters, he said, "it is almost impossible for the US government to stop it."

Urgent need for diesel

The Cuban government claims it has not received oil since January, deepening the energy crisis in the country of 9.6 million inhabitants.

President Miguel Diaz-Canel has introduced emergency measures to save fuel, including strict rationing of gasoline.

Fuel prices have risen, public transport has decreased, and some airlines have suspended flights to Cuba, affecting the country's fragile economy.

Cubans have suffered regular power outages as their old power plants struggle to meet demand, with seven nationwide blackouts since 2024, including two this month.

The ship Anatoly Kolodkin, which is under US sanctions, was loaded with oil in the Russian port of Primorsk on March 8.

It was escorted through La Mance by a Russian naval vessel, but the two ships separated when the tanker entered the Atlantic, according to the British Royal Navy.

Another ship, reportedly carrying Russian diesel to Cuba, the Sea Horse under the Hong Kong flag, arrived in Venezuela earlier this week.

When Anatoly Kolodkin's crude oil arrives in Cuba, it should take about fifteen to twenty days to process and another five to ten days to deliver its refined products, Pinon said.

"The urgent need today in Cuba is diesel," said the former oil company executive.

The Russian shipment could be converted into 250,000 barrels of diesel, enough to cover the country's demand for about 12.5 days, according to Pinon.

Pinon said the government would have to decide whether to use the fuel for backup generators or for the buses, tractors, and trains needed to keep the economy running for two weeks.

"If you are Diaz-Canel or someone making the decision, you ask yourself, 'Okay, where, where do I go with this diesel?'" he said. "Do I want to produce more electricity so there are fewer blackouts? Or do I want it invested in the transportation sector?"