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2mo ago

Russia Loads Second Oil Shipment for Cuba After Sanctioned Tanker Docks

The waiver signals constrained U.S. leverage, granting Russia a window to assist Havana.

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Russian-flagged oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin approaches Matanzas in Matanzas, Cuba, Tuesday, March 31, 2026.. (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
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A man stands as a tugboat guides the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin at the oil terminal in the port of Matanzas, northwestern Cuba, on March 31, 2026. The Anatoly Kolodkin, a tanker under US sanctions carrying 730,000 barrels of crude, is set to deliver the first crude shipment to Cuba since January after Washington gave the crisis-hit island a reprieve from an effective fuel blockade. (Photo by Yamil LAGE / AFP via Getty Images)

Overview

  • Russia’s energy minister said Thursday a second tanker is being loaded for Cuba, following Tuesday’s arrival of the sanctioned Anatoly Kolodkin with roughly 730,000 barrels of crude.
  • The White House said it allowed the docking as a humanitarian exception and stressed there is no change to Cuba sanctions, with President Trump saying he had no problem with the delivery.
  • Analysts estimate the cargo will yield enough diesel for about nine to ten days, highlighting that the relief is brief unless more ships follow.
  • Cuba’s state oil firm CUPET says the crude will be refined on the island and first supplies will support electricity generation, floating power plants, and essential services such as hospitals.
  • Reporting by Politico says the Iran war has pushed Cuba down Washington’s priority list, which has given Moscow space to continue fuel deliveries and to frame them as solidarity with a close partner.