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4h ago

Russia Loads Second Oil Shipment for Cuba After Sanctioned Tanker’s Arrival

The move spotlights the limits of U.S. enforcement through humanitarian exceptions.

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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 oil ship is now being loaded for Cuba.
  • The first tanker, Anatoly Kolodkin, reached Matanzas on Tuesday with about 730,000 to 740,000 barrels after U.S. officials allowed the docking as a humanitarian exception on a case-by-case basis.
  • Cuba’s state oil firm said the crude will be refined locally, with first fuel due in the second half of April and priority for power plants, hospitals and other essential services.
  • Officials and analysts estimate the delivery will cover about nine to ten days of diesel demand, so power shortages will continue without regular new cargoes.
  • The vessel is on U.S., EU and U.K. sanctions lists and is described as part of a shadow fleet, highlighting how sanctioned shipping networks can slip through efforts to block fuel to the island.