Russia is covertly shipping oil to Cuba, using deceptive shipping tactics to evade US sanctions, as the island suffers fuel shortages and power outages, according to maritime intelligence reports.
One alleged delivery took place during one of Cuba’s worst energy crises and ahead of the March 16 power grid collapse that left about 10 million people without electricity, according to Cuban authorities. US Embassy in Cuba.
“The Hong Kong-flagged tanker, which is not subject to sanctions, has AIS patterns indicating that the tanker spoofed its location and likely sailed to Cuba to offload its cargo in early March.” Windward AI said.
The Financial times also reported on March 18 that another Russian-flagged tanker, Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying crude oil, was expected to reach Cuba on April 4.
“We are ready to provide all possible assistance,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov had told reporters during a briefing on Cuba on March 17. The Moscow Times reported.
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Russia uses deceptive maritime tactics to evade US sanctions on troubled Cuba amid energy shortages (AP Photo/Ramon Espinosa)
The US oil embargo prevents the Cuban regime from buying oil alone, the official confirmed.
Windward AI, in its March 18 report, identified for the first time the tanker Sea Horse as the key vessel in the suspected clandestine oil delivery.
The company said the ship is believed to have transported approximately 190,000 to 200,000 barrels to Cuba while engaging in behavior consistent with sanctions evasion. Although the ship is not under sanctions, Windward analysts have noted several suspicious activities.
These include disabling its Automatic Identification System (AIS) during a ship-to-ship transfer near Cyprus – where it likely loaded its cargo – and sailing without Western insurance, both common indicators of sanctions circumvention.
The tanker also repeatedly changed its stated destination, initially signaling Havana before switching to ‘Gibraltar for orders’, a tactic often used to obscure final delivery points.
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A tanker flying the flag of Cuba arrives in the port of Havana on February 9, 2026. (YAMIL LAGE/AFP via Getty Images)
After crossing the Atlantic Ocean, it appeared to drift while broadcasting that it was “not under command”, with analysts suggesting its AIS signals may have been manipulated to conceal its true location and activities.
These movements strongly indicate that the ship may have completed an undeclared delivery to Cuba before normal transmissions resumed.
Since January 29 American measures – effectively creating an oil blockade – have disrupted fuel shipments to the island.
The policy change followed major changes in Venezuela and the arrest of Nicolás Maduro, which further tightened supplies to Cuba and discouraged other tankers from approaching the ports.
President Donald Trump had warned that countries supplying oil to Cuba could face tariffs, while Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel condemned the measures as an “economic war” and promised continued resistance in a message shared on X.
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People walk on the street during a power outage in Havana, Cuba, on Monday, March 16, 2026. (Ramon Espinosa/AP)
“The regime must implement significant changes that will allow privatization and provide the Cuban people with a livelihood,” they said.
Otherwise, another senior State Department official said Cuba’s power outages “have unfortunately been common in Cuba for years — a symptom of the failing regime’s incompetence and inability to deliver even the most basic goods and services to its people.”
“This is the tragic result of more than sixty years of communist rule. An island that was once the crown jewel of the Caribbean has been plunged into extreme poverty and darkness.
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“As President Trump has said, whatever is left of the regime must make a deal and let the Cuban people finally be free and prosperous, with the help of the United States,” the official said.
“Cuba is in a very bad state right now. They’re talking to Marco,” Trump told reporters on March 17 before adding that “we will do something with Cuba very soon.”
