Drunk and aggressive Russian tourist was deported from Cuba by MININT.

Officials from the Ministry of the Interior (MININT) denied entry to Cuba for a Russian traveler who exhibited "aggressive and destructive" behavior during a flight from Moscow to Varadero with Rossiya Airlines.

Although the incident has just come to light, the events date back to November 2023, according to a news portal from the Russian aviation industry.

The MININT ordered the deportation of the traveler, who left the country on the return flight to Moscow on the same aircraft in which he had entered the island.

"In November 2023, a passenger on flight SU/FV6927 Moscow - Varadero exhibited aggressive and destructive behavior, which posed a threat to the safety of other passengers and the crew," reported the publication, which then detailed how erratic that behavior was.

"He refused to sit in his seat, tried to smoke in the cabin, and made threats. The crew managed to stabilize the situation, but the incident resulted in the troublemaker being denied entry to the country upon arriving at Varadero airport," the source added.

The additional costs of taking the passenger out of Cuba at the order of MININT were borne by Rossiya.

The airline had to pay for the trip of security agents who took charge of the unruly traveler during the flight back to Sheremetyevo.

Rossiya filed a lawsuit against the passenger, who has now been forced to reimburse the airline for an amount of 50,000 rubles (about 543 dollars).

The airline emphasized in a statement "the importance of complying with air safety regulations"; while warning that "failure to adhere to these rules can result in financial losses, deportation, and a ban on entering certain countries."

According to the same source, in 2023 alone, Rossiya recorded 678 cases of disruptive behavior on its flights. More than half of these were related to passengers' alcohol intoxication.

A total of 513 people were suspended from the flight and handed over to law enforcement, and 94 flights were delayed due to the offenders. Last year, the airline won 35 legal cases in disputes with passengers and received more than 1,300,000 rubles in compensation.

Russian tourism to Cuba has experienced significant growth in recent years, particularly in 2024, where it has increased by 141% compared to the previous year.

This increase is partly due to the efforts of the Cuban government to attract more visitors from Russia by negotiating a greater number of direct flights and promoting Russian investments in the hotel sector of the island.

Despite the challenges facing tourism in Cuba, such as deteriorating infrastructure and rising crime rates, Russian tourists have become a crucial market to sustain the struggling tourism industry of the island.

However, this increase has also led Cuban authorities to issue warnings about the behavior of those tourists.