Overview
- The Anatoly Kolodkin, which reached the port of Matanzas on Tuesday, carried about 730,000 barrels of Russian crude, according to MarineTraffic data cited by AFP and other outlets.
- President Donald Trump said he would not block countries sending oil to Cuba and the White House described decisions as case by case, while the New York Times reported the U.S. Coast Guard allowed the ship to proceed.
- The Kremlin welcomed the delivery as assistance to an ally, and the British Royal Navy earlier said a Russian warship escorted the tanker through the English Channel before it entered the Atlantic.
- Energy expert Jorge Piñón estimated the cargo could be refined into roughly 250,000 barrels of diesel, covering about 12 days of demand, with 15 to 20 days needed for refining and another 5 to 10 for distribution.
- Cuba has endured rolling blackouts, strict fuel rationing, and no oil imports since January 9 after Mexico halted shipments under U.S. pressure and Venezuelan supplies ended following the U.S. capture of Nicolás Maduro.