Russian oil tanker accused of dark fleet tactics in Cuba shipment

A tanker allegedly carrying Russian fuel en route to Cuba is using deceptive “dark fleet” tactics including signal manipulation and ship-to-ship transfers offshore, according to a naval intelligence firm upwind.

Accordingly maritime traffic, The ship, Sea Horse, was off the US East Coast on Tuesday and its signal indicated “in circulation”.

The move comes as the United States is cracking down on Cuba’s fuel supplies, disrupting deliveries and targeting third-party countries supplying oil, following new sanctions and the arrest of Venezuelan leader Nicolás Maduro.

On January 29, President Donald Trump also signed an executive order declaring a national emergency for Cuba and authorizing the imposition of tariffs on imports from countries that sell or supply oil there.

Windward reported: Russian oil tanker first broadcast to Havana It was in destination on 7 February and was “Flagged Hong Kong” before quietly changing course. The tanker is expected to arrive in Cuba in early March, Windward said.

The ship changed its Automatic Identification System (AIS) signal to indicate that it would arrive in the “Caribbean Sea” within two weeks; The firm said a vague designation is often used to disguise a ship’s last port of call.

Even after the tanker crossed the strait, the destination was changed back to Gibraltar for orders; Windward stated that this move was inconsistent with the standard commercial route.

Windward’s analysis also suggests that the ship loaded its cargo via ship-to-ship (STS) transfer, which took place offshore near Cyprus.

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The Cuban-flagged tanker docked at Havana port on February 9. (Yamil Lage/AFP via Getty Images)

Windward said the tanker’s AIS signal was temporarily turned off during the loading process, a “deceptive maritime operations tactic designed to evade regulatory inspections.”

Windward data also shows that the ship’s draft increased on Feb. 8, several days after it left an area used for floating storage and transfer of Russian middle distillate cargoes arriving from Black Sea ports.

Windward said the tanker wandered around that area for about two weeks before departing.

“Ship-to-ship transfers outside territorial waters, where port state oversight is limited, have become a common practice in oil trading to circumvent sanctions and regulatory scrutiny,” Windward said.

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Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro, right, with Cuban President Miguel Diaz-Canel in 2024. (Gaby Oraa/Bloomberg via Getty Images)

The company added that AIS manipulation, offshore transfers and ambiguous destination reporting are now standard features of the shadow fleet activity that sustains Russian oil exports despite US sanctions.

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Cuba also faces an energy crisis that has worsened in recent weeks after U.S. action in early January halted oil shipments from its main supplier, Venezuela.

Mexico, another major supplier, also suspended oil shipments. Associated Press.

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