Sanctioned Russian oil tanker nears Cuba
The Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying about 730,000 barrels of crude oil, was north of Haiti on Sunday en route to the port of Matanzas, maritime analytics firm Kpler said.
Cuba lost a major oil supplier in January after US forces captured Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro and increased pressure on the island’s energy resources.
US President Donald Trump has since warned of tariffs on countries supplying oil to Cuba and floated the idea of ”taking over” the communist-run country.
Jorge Pinon, an energy expert at the University of Texas, said it was unlikely that the US would stop the tanker at this stage.
“Once the ship enters Cuban waters, it becomes almost impossible for the United States to stop it,” he said.
Cuba says it has not received oil imports since January, deepening the crisis in the country of 9.6 million people. While President Miguel Diaz-Canel implemented strict fuel rationing, rising prices, reduced transportation and airline disruptions increased economic tension.
There are constant power outages on the island as aging power plants struggle to meet demand.
Lost Aid Boats Reached Cuba
Two sailboats carrying humanitarian aid from southern Mexico arrived in Havana on Saturday after being lost for days due to bad weather, the Mexican navy said. The ships, with at least eight people on board, left Isla Mujeres on March 20 and lost contact before being detected about 80 nautical miles off Havana. Convoy coordinator Adnaan Stumo said rough seas forced a longer route but the crew “was never in serious danger.” He thanked the Mexican navy for escorting a boat into Havana Bay as aid deliveries began.
