The Russian oil tanker Anatoli Kolodkin, on March 31, 2026, in Matanzas Bay, Cuba. Photo: EFE.
Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs expressed its gratitude to the government and people of Russia on Tuesday, March 31, following the arrival at the port of Matanzas, in western Cuba, of the Russian oil tanker Anatoli Kolodkin, which transported 740,000 barrels of crude oil, equivalent to 100,000 tons.
Through its official channels, Cuba’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs highlighted this gesture as essential solidarity in addressing the fuel shortage currently affecting the island nation. “This valuable aid arrives amidst the energy blockade imposed by the United States, which is attempting to suffocate the Cuban population,” reads the Ministry’s post on its social media accounts.
According to Cuban authorities, the measures of the US regime are aimed at suffocating the population, so the Russian supply is considered a vital resource to mitigate the effects of the blockade on the daily lives of citizens.
Agradecemos al Gobierno y pueblo de Rusia 🇷🇺 por su respaldo solidario con la llegada del petrolero ruso a puerto cubano.
Esta valiosa ayuda llega en medio del cerco energético impuesto por Estados Unidos, que intenta asfixiar a la población cubana.#CubaNoEstáSola pic.twitter.com/V3v1K6L7TJ
— CancillerĂa de Cuba (@CubaMINREX) March 31, 2026
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov celebrated the arrival of the Russian oil tanker to Cuba on Monday, March 30. The Russian presidential spokesman emphasized that his country considers it a duty to support Cuba, especially when it faces extreme conditions that threaten the operation of hospitals, transportation, and the generation of electricity necessary for the country’s survival.
“Russia believes it has a duty not to stand aside and to provide the necessary assistance to our Cuban friends, and we are pleased that this shipment of petroleum products has arrived on the island,” the Russian official told the press.
According to Dmitri Peskov, access to the fuel was arranged beforehand through contacts with interlocutors in the United States, managing to get the Donald Trump administration to allow the passage of the hydrocarbon despite the energy blockade that Washington has maintained on the island since the end of January of this year.
Russian Tanker Anatoly Kolodkin Arrives in Cuba with 100,000 Tons of Crude Oil
On January 29, President Donald Trump signed an executive order declaring a national emergency, considering Cuba a threat to US security. The measure empowers Washington to impose tariffs on goods from countries that supply oil to Cuba.
The Russian vessel, belonging to the Sovkomflot corporation, which has been sanctioned by the United States since 2024, departed from the Russian port of Primorsk on March 9. Its arrival marks the first oil shipment to the island in the last three months.
While the arrival promises to alleviate the energy crisis, the benefit will not be immediate, as there is still the unloading time, estimated at 96 hours, and the logistical phases of refining and distribution.
(Telesur)
Translation: Orinoco Tribune
OT/JB/JRE