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U.S. Blocks Russian Oil to Cuba as Tanker Diverts and Island Endures New Nationwide Blackout

Cuba’s import‑dependent grid is under sharper strain after the United States curtailed Russian fuel deliveries.

Overview

  • The U.S. Treasury’s OFAC updated a general license to prohibit the sale, delivery or offloading of Russian crude and petroleum products to Cuba, also covering Iran, North Korea and Russian‑occupied regions of Ukraine including Crimea.
  • Maritime data from Bloomberg, Kpler and MarineTraffic showed the Hong Kong‑flagged Sea Horse, carrying about 200,000 barrels of diesel, changing course away from Havana after the U.S. move.
  • Maritime intelligence firm Windward reported the Sea Horse engaged in deceptive shipping practices such as AIS shutdowns during a ship‑to‑ship transfer and sailing without western insurance, pointing to possible sanctions evasion.
  • Trackers continued to list the Russian‑flagged Anatoly Kolodkin with roughly 700,000–730,000 barrels of crude at sea and shifting destination data after departing Primorsk on March 8.
  • Cuba suffered a nationwide “total disconnection” on Saturday, the second major outage in days, with the island relying on imports for roughly two‑thirds of its fuel needs.