A Russian oil tanker loaded with approximately 700,000 barrels of crude oil reached Cuba’s Matanzas port early Tuesday morning, marking the island’s first major fuel shipment in three months during a severe energy shortage.
The vessel named Anatoly Kolodkin, which operates under Russian flag and faces U.S. sanctions, arrived at the anchorage area at sunrise under clear weather conditions, according to eyewitness reports and maritime tracking information. The ship had entered Cuban waters late Sunday evening near the U.S. naval facility at Guantanamo Bay.
U.S. officials stated they permitted the tanker’s fuel delivery on humanitarian grounds, despite ongoing sanctions against the vessel.
The Aframax-class ship docked at Matanzas Bay, Cuba’s primary facility for supertanker operations and fuel storage, while much of the surrounding city and most of Cuba remained without electrical power.
Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel has confirmed that no oil tankers had reached the country for three months prior to this delivery, intensifying an energy emergency that has caused continuous power outages throughout the nation of 10 million residents. The crisis has pushed medical facilities, mass transit systems, and agricultural operations to near-collapse conditions.
Should the cargo be successfully unloaded, it would provide temporary relief to Cuba’s Communist government as it faces mounting challenges from the Trump administration, which has pledged policy changes regarding Cuba.
Processing the crude oil aboard the Anatoly Kolodkin into usable gasoline, diesel fuel, and power generation materials will require several days through Cuba’s domestic refining operations.
The tanker’s cargo consists of Russian Urals crude, a medium sour grade that matches the capabilities of Cuba’s older refinery infrastructure.
