A Russian oil tanker carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels of crude is approaching Cuba with approval from the US government, marking a shift in enforcement as the island faces a worsening energy shortage.
The vessel, named Anatoly Kolodkin, was nearing Cuba’s eastern coastline on Sunday, according to ship tracking data, according to the New York Post. The tanker is carrying an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil and departed from Primorsk, Russia. If it continues on its current course, it is expected to dock at the port of Matanzas.
“We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload, because they need … they have to survive,” President Donald Trump.
“If a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem whether it’s Russia or not,” he added.
The decision comes as Cuba continues to grapple with fuel shortages that have lasted for months. President Miguel Díaz-Canel has acknowledged the crisis, which has led to strict gasoline rationing and broader disruptions across the country.
US officials have recently eased certain restrictions on Russian oil shipments as part of efforts to stabilize global energy markets. The move follows disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz after US and Israeli military strikes on Iran last month.
The policy shift contrasts with earlier actions by the Trump administration, which had worked to restrict energy flows to Cuba. After the January capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, a key supplier of subsidized oil to the island, the US moved to block Venezuelan shipments and warned other countries against continuing exports to Cuba.
Another tanker, the Hong Kong-flagged Sea Hprse, had been transporting approximately 200,000 barrels of Russian fuel toward Cuba but was rerouted earlier in the week. It remains anchored off the coast of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela.
The vessel, named Anatoly Kolodkin, was nearing Cuba’s eastern coastline on Sunday, according to ship tracking data, according to the New York Post. The tanker is carrying an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil and departed from Primorsk, Russia. If it continues on its current course, it is expected to dock at the port of Matanzas.
“We have a tanker out there. We don’t mind having somebody get a boatload, because they need … they have to survive,” President Donald Trump.
“If a country wants to send some oil into Cuba right now, I have no problem whether it’s Russia or not,” he added.
The decision comes as Cuba continues to grapple with fuel shortages that have lasted for months. President Miguel Díaz-Canel has acknowledged the crisis, which has led to strict gasoline rationing and broader disruptions across the country.
US officials have recently eased certain restrictions on Russian oil shipments as part of efforts to stabilize global energy markets. The move follows disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz after US and Israeli military strikes on Iran last month.
The policy shift contrasts with earlier actions by the Trump administration, which had worked to restrict energy flows to Cuba. After the January capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, a key supplier of subsidized oil to the island, the US moved to block Venezuelan shipments and warned other countries against continuing exports to Cuba.
Another tanker, the Hong Kong-flagged Sea Hprse, had been transporting approximately 200,000 barrels of Russian fuel toward Cuba but was rerouted earlier in the week. It remains anchored off the coast of Puerto Cabello, Venezuela.
