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The U.S. Coast Guard will allow the Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, loaded with approximately 730,000 barrels of crude oil, to arrive in Cuba without being intercepted, a U.S. official reported to the newspaper The New York Times.
The vessel, owned by the Russian government, was located less than 15 miles from Cuban territorial waters on Sunday afternoon, according to data from MarineTraffic, and was traveling at 12 knots.
It is expected to enter Cuban waters that same Sunday night and reach its destination at the port of Matanzas this Tuesday.
The arrival of Russian crude represents the first significant energy supply that Cuba has received in at least three months, amid the most severe energy crisis the island has faced in decades.
According to analysts cited by the Times, the arrival of the ship would change the course of a rapidly accelerating crisis in Cuba, giving the island at least a few weeks before its fuel reserves run completely dry.
Anatoly Kolodkin departed from the Russian port of Primorsk on March 8 and crossed the Atlantic, partially escorted during his journey by a Russian warship, which analysts interpreted as a deliberate provocation from Moscow towards Washington.
U.S. warships, including the USAV Wilson Wharf and the CG Tahoma, were deployed near the north of Cuba as the tanker approached, although they ultimately did not intercept it.
Since January 9, 2026, the island has not received stable supplies of oil: Venezuela stopped sending crude after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by U.S. forces, and Mexico suspended shipments from Pemex amid threats of sanctions from Washington.
The electrical deficit in Cuba reached between 1,700 and 2,040 megawatts daily in March, with blackouts exceeding 30 hours. On March 16, there were only 1,140 megawatts available compared to a demand of 2,347 megawatts.
The decision not to intercept the Anatoly Kolodkin raises questions about the direction of Washington's maximum pressure policy towards Havana.
The Times pointed out that it was unclear why the White House has now decided to allow Russia to transport oil to Cuba, or whether it will permit future Russian oil shipments to the island.
The newspaper also noted that the decision avoids a potential contentious confrontation with Russia right off the coast of Florida.
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