Russia Testing US Energy Blockade of Cuba With Second Oil Tanker

The Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin sails near the Cuban oil tanker Vilma near the port of Matanzas, Cuba, on March 31. — The Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin sails near the Cuban oil tanker Vilma near the port of Matanzas, Cuba, on March 31.
Source: AFP/Getty Images

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April 2, 2026 at 3:34 PM UTC

Russia plans to send a second oil tanker to crisis-ridden Cuba, further testing an effective US energy blockade of the communist-run island.

Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilev told the state-run TASS news agency that the second ship is being loaded.