A Russian tanker carrying roughly 730,000 barrels of crude oil is set to arrive in Cuba on Tuesday, offering a lifeline to the island’s strained energy system as Canadian travellers continue seeking ways to reach the destination.
The vessel, owned by a Russian state shipping company, is expected to dock in Matanzas in the coming days after the US declined to intercept it, the New York Times reported. This comes despite US efforts since January that have effectively acted as an oil blockade, deterring fuel shipments and even escorting one tanker away from the island.
It is unclear why the White House did not block the tanker or whether future Russian shipments will be allowed, reported the publication.
Analysts say the delivery could ease blackouts and fuel shortages for several weeks—potentially up to a month—stabilizing transportation and power generation. Jorge Piñón, a former oil executive who studies Cuba’s energy system at the University of Texas, said it would take roughly three weeks to refine the crude into fuels such as uel oil and jet fuel, and another week to distribute them across the country.
About 40% of Cuba’s grid is powered by oil-fired plants that run largely on domestically produced crude, helping keep the lights on—albeit inconsistently—amid ongoing shortages. The government has also been racing to install solar panels to shore up the system.
Fuel shortages have already forced Canadian airlines—including Air Canada, WestJet and Air Transat—to suspend Cuba service. Air Canada has said service is not expected to resume until November.
Despite the disruptions—and a Level 3 Canadian government advisory urging travellers to avoid non-essential travel—tourism officials and travel companies continue to court Canadians.
In a 04MAR Facebook post, Cuba’s Ministry of Tourism said the country remains “safe and welcoming,” pointing to routes via the United States, Mexico, and Panama. Officials say more than 20 international airlines continue to serve destinations such as Havana and Varadero.
Travel operators such as Hola Sun Holidays and Enjoy Travel Group, a Spain-based firm with an office in Montreal, are still marketing vacation packages on the ministry’s website, Open Jaw previously reported.
While the incoming Russian oil may provide short-term relief and help stabilize conditions on the ground, it is unlikely to resolve the broader crisis—leaving both the tourism sector and prospective travellers navigating continued uncertainty.
US President Donald Trump said earlier this month that he believes he will “have the honour of taking Cuba” and suggested the island could be a future military target after the war in the Middle East. “I built this great military,” he said at an investment conference. “I said, ‘You’ll never have to use it.’ But sometimes you have to use it. And Cuba is next, by the way.”
