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The Russian Embassy in Havana clarified that no evacuation flights from Cuba are scheduled or planned. The ongoing operations are focused on the return of Russian tourists who already have round-trip tickets.
In an , the diplomatic mission explained that the Russian airlines operating direct regular flights to the island are arranging transfers for Russian citizens who are on vacation and hold tickets issued by these companies.
“Russian airlines (…) are currently organizing flights for Russian tourist citizens who have round trip tickets,” the official note indicates.
Additionally, the diplomatic mission emphasizes that “evacuation flights from Havana and Varadero are not scheduled.”
The clarification comes days after it was reported that a special operation by the companies Rossiya— a subsidiary of Aeroflot— and Nordwind was organized to transport around 4,000 tourists before the complete suspension of regular flights between Russia and Cuba, scheduled to start on February 24.
Rossiya has scheduled six flights: five from Varadero to Moscow (on February 12, 14, 17, 19, and 21) and one from Havana on February 16. Nordwind has also activated additional operations from Varadero.
These flights are aimed at foreign passengers and exclude Cuban citizens, leaving out nationals who may need to travel amid the complex economic situation in the country.
The Embassy of Russia also noted that other airlines operating routes in Latin America continue to fly to and from Cuba. In particular, it highlighted that the option to travel to Moscow via transit through Istanbul remains available.
The suspension of regular routes is due to difficulties in replenishing fuel within Cuban territory, in a context marked by the energy crisis and the blockade imposed by the United States on oil supplies from other countries.
Data from the Russian Association of Tourist Operators (ATOR) indicates that in 2025, 131,900 Russian tourists traveled to Cuba, a decrease of 29% compared to 2024. This resulted in a 50% reduction in flight frequencies between Moscow and Havana.
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