The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Alexander Pankin, stated that Moscow is willing to consider new oil shipments to Cuba if the situation requires it, in remarks that strengthen Russia's energy support for the Cuban dictatorship amid an unprecedented crisis on the island, reported Actualidad RT.
"It is aid for our old friend and ally. More than a friend and ally, a country that we truly respect for its resilience and ability to endure sanctions and embargoes for so many years. If necessary, we will be willing to consider additional supplies or other forms of support," stated Pankin.
The statements come after the humanitarian shipment of 100,000 tons of crude oil transported by the tanker Anatoly Kolotkin, which arrived at the port of Matanzas on March 31 and whose national distribution began on April 17, a day earlier than planned, after being refined at the Camilo Cienfuegos Refinery.
However, that shipment barely covers between seven and ten days of energy supply for Cuba, and Cuba's Minister of Energy and Mines, Vicente de la O Levy, admitted last Wednesday that the country is only distributing 800 tons of diesel per day, half of the 1,600 needed for normal operations.
Pankin also acknowledged the logistical obstacles of the journey, describing it as "almost an adventure" to bring an oil tanker to Cuba across the Atlantic, the English Channel, or the Baltic Sea, and noted that "all of Europe is eager for Russia to assist and send something to Cuba."
The Cuban energy crisis that prompts these shipments is extremely serious. Cuba needs between 90,000 and 110,000 barrels daily but only produces about 40,000, relying on imports to cover the remaining two-thirds.
The situation drastically worsened starting from late 2025 due to a confluence of factors: the seizure of the tanker Skipper in December of that year, carrying one million barrels intended for Cuba; the capture of Nicolás Maduro in January 2026, which cut off the Venezuelan supply of between 25,000 and 30,000 barrels daily; and the suspension of shipments from Mexico due to fears of U.S. sanctions.
Russia has announced a second shipment aboard the tanker Universal, carrying 251,000 barrels of diesel, with an estimated arrival in the Caribbean on April 29.
The ship, sanctioned by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom, crossed the English Channel on April 8, escorted by a Russian frigate.
The Russian Energy Minister, Serguéi Tsiviliov, announced this second shipment with a statement that summarizes Moscow's narrative: "A Russian ship has broken the blockade. A second ship is being loaded at this moment, and we will not leave the Cubans in trouble."
Despite the political and symbolic support of these shipments, Russian aid falls short of resolving the island's structural crisis. The Cuban minister De la O Levy warned that Cuba needs eight fuel ships per month to meet its basic needs, a figure that current Russian shipments are far from reaching.
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