Russian tanker under US sanctions with 730,000 barrels of crude oil approaching Cuba

The tanker "Anatoly Kolodkin", which is carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil, is located today north of Haiti and is heading for the port of Matanzas in western Cuba, the maritime analytics company Kpler reported, AFP reported. It is expected to arrive in Cuba tomorrow.

Cuba has not imported oil since January 9, when the last shipment from Mexico was made, before the country stopped sending fuel to the island under pressure from the White House.

The "Sea Horse", a Hong Kong-flagged tanker that was believed to be carrying Russian diesel to Cuba, eventually entered Venezuelan waters, Kpler reported.

Cuba lost its main regional ally and oil supplier, Venezuela, in January when U.S. forces seized Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro. Caracas had been Cuba's main fuel supplier for the past 25 years.

Cubans suffer from regular power outages that can last more than 20 hours. The country has also been hit by seven major power outages since the beginning of 2024, including twice this month.

Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has imposed various fuel-saving measures. Prices have soared, public transport has been significantly reduced, and some airlines have suspended flights to Cuba.

On March 19, the US government, which recently eased sanctions on Russian oil, clarified that hydrocarbons cannot yet be delivered to Cuba or North Korea.

On March 20, the Kremlin said it was in talks with Moscow's ally Cuba about ways to help the island, but declined to comment on reports of secret deliveries of Russian diesel.

Moscow and Havana, which have cooperated closely since the Soviet era, have strengthened their relations since the start of Russia's large-scale offensive against Ukraine in 2022.

The "Anatoly Kolodkin" is under US sanctions. It loaded oil in the Russian port city of Primorsk on March 8. It was then escorted by a Russian warship across the English Channel. The two ships separated after the tanker entered the Atlantic Ocean, the British Navy said.