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The Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin is sailing towards the Caribbean loaded with crude oil, increasing pressure on the U.S. sanctions policy against Cuba.
Maritime tracking data indicates that the ship could approach the island in the coming days amid the severe energy crisis affecting the Cuban population.
According to reports from independent analyst Falcon on X, the ship is headed towards the Caribbean at a speed of about 11-12 knots, although its course has shifted slightly and is no longer pointing directly at Cuba.
The latest tracking indicates that it is approximately 487 miles from the Turks and Caicos, with an estimated route of 941 miles and an expected arrival on March 30, according to AIS data.
Last week, the United States government prohibited the shipment of Russian oil to Cuba. This was done through a new license issued by the Office of Foreign Assets Control (OFAC), which restricts transactions related to crude oil of Russian origin.
The Anatoly Kolodkin set sail from Primorsk on March 8 with approximately 730,000 barrels of crude oil. Initially, a generic destination was declared, but tracking systems indicate it is heading towards the Caribbean, with analysts suggesting a possible arrival in Matanzas.
The technical specifications of the vessel highlight the magnitude of the operation. It is a tanker measuring 250 meters in length, with a draft of 13.3 meters and capacity to transport large volumes of oil.
His last signal placed him in the Atlantic, northeast of the Caribbean, sailing on a course of 223°.
The shipment comes at a critical time for Cuba, where fuel shortages have led to constant blackouts and a visible decline in daily life.
The island has not received oil shipments since January, following the collapse of Venezuelan supply and the additional restrictions imposed by Washington.
Russia defended the shipment of oil to Cuba as "humanitarian aid", while the United States maintains sanctions that prohibit such operations.
However, intercepting the ship in international waters would involve legal risks and a potential escalation with Moscow.
For the Donald Trump administration, the situation is complex: allowing the supply would partially alleviate the energy crisis in Cuba, but it would weaken the pressure against the regime. Preventing it could open a new front of international tension at a time already marked by global conflicts.
As the oil tanker moves toward the Caribbean, the situation once again highlights the fragility of the Cuban energy system and its dependence on external allies, amid a crisis that continues to directly impact the population.
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