Russian oil tankers are moving toward Cuba with large crude and diesel cargoes as the island faces worsening blackouts and mounting fuel pressure. The crisis has deepened after a sharp decline in supplies from Venezuela, historically Cuba’s main oil provider, due to U.S. pressure on shipments, political turmoil in Caracas, and the disruption of long-standing energy ties.
Vessel-tracking data from maritime analytics firm Kpler shows that the sanctioned Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin loaded 730,000 barrels of crude oil at the port of Primorsk on March 8.
By Wednesday, the vessel was crossing the eastern Atlantic with Cuba listed as its destination. Kpler data indicates that the tanker is due to unload at the Matanzas oil terminal in northern Cuba around March 23.
Russian oil tankers highlight Cuba’s fuel dependence
The Anatoly Kolodkin sails under the Russian flag and belongs to Sovcomflot, Russia’s state shipping company. The vessel also appears on sanctions lists imposed by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. Its journey underscores Russia’s continuing role in supporting Cuba’s fuel supply at a time when the island’s power system remains under severe strain.
Cuba also awaits a diesel cargo from Sea Horse
A second vessel, the Sea Horse, which sails under the Hong Kong flag, is also moving west with fuel linked to Cuba.
According to Kpler, the tanker loaded nearly 200,000 barrels of diesel in late January off the coast of Cyprus through a ship-to-ship transfer. It left the Mediterranean on February 13 and has since continued across the Atlantic.
However, the vessel slowed between late February and early March and followed an uneven route. By Wednesday, it was in the northwestern Caribbean, around 1,500 kilometers from Cuba’s coast.
Blackouts deepen as new supplies near the island
These shipments arrive as Cuba continues to struggle with repeated electricity outages, fuel shortages, and broader economic pressure. New crude and diesel deliveries could ease some of that pressure in the near term, but they also show how heavily the island still relies on external energy support. At the same time, the voyages show that Russian oil and refined products continue to reach strategic destinations despite Western sanctions on Moscow and on vessels tied to its shipping network.
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