An oil tanker under the Russian flag is reportedly approaching the coast of Cuba and could arrive in the coming days, amidst the blockade imposed by the United States on the Caribbean island, which has caused a deep energy crisis. The embargo has interrupted most fuel shipments to Havana, as noted by the University of Texas Energy Institute. The vessel in question is the Anatoly Kolodkin, which, according to the CNN network, is a few hours from Nipe Bay on the island's north coast in Holguín province, and about a day and a half from the Matanzas petroleum logistics center in the northwest of the country. According to the specialized maritime traffic tracking site MarineTraffic, the Anatoly Kolodkin was in the Caribbean Sea on Sunday afternoon heading to Matanzas, where it could arrive this Tuesday, according to the platform's estimate. It is unclear whether the United States, which has Coast Guard vessels patrolling international waters north of Cuba, will allow the Russian oil tanker to pass. The same American news network reported last week that the Anatoly Kolodkin was en route to Cuba with approximately 730,000 barrels of oil. It is estimated that if it reaches the Cuban refineries, this Russian crude could produce about 250,000 barrels of diesel, enough to cover approximately 12.5 days of domestic demand. Cuba stopped receiving oil from Venezuela, its main supplier, after the capture of President Nicolás Maduro by the United States, and subsequently, supplies from other countries, such as Mexico, were also cut off after the Trump government threatened to impose additional tariffs on countries that would provide crude oil directly or indirectly. The fuel shortage has increased blackouts, which are becoming more and more prolonged, in the face of deteriorating infrastructure due to lack of maintenance and investment. Just in the last month, the island has suffered two total blackouts that left Havana and other cities in the dark.
