Two Russian tankers carrying hundreds of thousands of barrels-worth of oil are heading to Cuba in defiance of Washington’s energy blockade against the island nation.
According to multiple reports and tanker-tracking data, the Sea Horse and the Anatoly Kolodkin are heading to Cuba with 930,000 barrels of gas and oil combined.
Two Russian ships carrying oil and gas are on their way to Cuba, despite US pressure and sanctions under Trump.
The shipments come as Cuba faces a severe energy crisis, highlighted by a recent nationwide blackout and months without fuel deliveries.
The extra supply could help… pic.twitter.com/OtNmbwovmi
— Clash Report (@clashreport) March 18, 2026
The Anatoly Kolodkin, owned by Russian state shipping firm Sovcomflot, is set to unload at Matanzas Oil Terminal north of Cuba on 23 March, according to Kpler.
Russia’s Foreign Ministry stated on 18 March that it was ready to “provide Cuba with the necessary support, including material support.”
Cuba has been under a trade embargo for over 60 years, starting after the Cuban revolution and the overthrow of the U.S.-backed Batista dictatorship.
U.S. President Donald Trump has recently tightened this siege to starve the nation of energy imports. At the start of the year, he signed an executive order threatening tariffs on countries assisting Cuba.
Due to the U.S. blockade, the island has been facing a severe energy crisis, with constant blackouts and fuel shortages. It also faces an exacerbated food security crisis and increasing poverty.
Cuba experienced a total power outage this week. Millions of Cubans were without electricity for around 30 hours after the power grid collapsed.
Most parts of the country were reconnected as of 19 March, but authorities warned that severe fuel shortages continued to pose a serious threat to electricity generation.
“You know, all my life I’ve been hearing about the United States and Cuba. When will the United States do it? I do believe I’ll be … having the honor of taking Cuba. Whether I free it, take it–think I could do anything I want with it. You want to know the truth. They’re a very weakened nation right now,” Trump said on Monday as the outages hit Cuba.
According to a New York Times (NYT) report, U.S. officials have told Cuba to remove its president from power.
Since the blockade began, Russia has repeatedly vowed to assist Cuba and provide it with energy.
On Thursday, Mexican President Claudia Sheinbaum also declared her country is working to resume fuel shipments to the Caribbean nation.
Viva México 🇲🇽 🤩
President Claudia Sheinbaum announced today that Mexico seeks to resume fuel shipments to Cuba.
A huge victory for the Cuban people, for the sovereignty of Mexico, and the integrity of the international trade system at large ♥️pic.twitter.com/VORcHZt0le
— David Adler (@davidrkadler) March 19, 2026
Source: The Cradle
Join the Struggle-La Lucha Telegram channel