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The oil tanker Sea Horse, flying the flag of Hong Kong, is approaching the Caribbean amidst rising geopolitical tensions and a deep energy crisis in Cuba.
Although its declared destination remains Gibraltar, maritime tracking data and independent analysis suggest that the island could be its actual destination, representing a new attempt by Moscow to support the Cuban regime amid the restrictions imposed by Washington.
The user Joankelin Sánchez posted on X the recent location of the tanker sailing under the flag of Hong Kong, which allegedly contains Russian crude oil.
The oil tanker, identified by the IMO number 9262584, was located south of the Sargasso Sea, heading towards the Caribbean.
His navigation behavior has raised suspicions due to erratic course changes and potential manipulations in his tracking signals, practices associated with the so-called Russian "phantom fleet."
The Sea Horse would transport around 200,000 barrels of Russian diesel (about 27,000 tons), loaded through a ship-to-ship transfer operation off the coast of Cyprus at the end of January.
This type of maneuver is often used to evade international controls and sanctions.
His possible arrival in Cuba would coincide with another key shipment: the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, which is already sailing towards the Matanzas terminal with approximately 730,000 barrels of crude oil.
Both shipments would represent the first significant supply of fuel to the island in over two months.
The operation takes place in a context marked by the tightening of U.S. energy policy toward Cuba. Since the end of January, the administration of President Donald Trump has implemented a strengthened oil blockade, accompanied by naval surveillance and interceptions, with the aim of cutting off the fuel supply to the regime.
Meanwhile, the energy crisis on the island continues to worsen. Cuba has not received oil since early January, following the withdrawal of supplies from Venezuela and Mexico.
The blackouts have intensified, highlighting the collapse of an electrical system unable to meet national demand.
These Russian shipments may provide temporary relief, but experts agree that they will not resolve the underlying structural issues. Rather, they reflect an escalation in the geopolitical struggle for influence on the island, with the Sea Horse as a key piece on that chessboard.
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