Tanker with Russian Fuel Heads to Cuba, Challenging Donald Trump's Blockade

Analysis of satellite data and information from the firm Kpler Ltd. confirms that the Sea Horse unit is set to arrive at a port in Cuba in early March. This is the first significant attempt to break through the American blockade, which has been progressively cutting off the island from energy supplies since the end of last year. According to reports from The New York Times, current U.S. actions represent the most effective form of isolating the island since the Cuban Missile Crisis in 1962. OFAC licenses are now becoming a key element of Havana's new policy, which has permitted the private sector to independently import diesel and gasoline. U.S.-Cuban relations have remained tense since the 1959 revolution, and the trade embargo imposed shortly thereafter is one of the longest-standing sanctions in modern diplomatic history.President Vladimir Putin has declared full solidarity with the Cuban government, though experts note the lack of concrete financial guarantees regarding stable supplies. The crisis has led to transport paralysis and power outages, threatening the stability of the government under Miguel Díaz-Canel. The American maritime blockade intensified after U.S. forces seized an oil-carrying vessel at the end of 2025. Experts point out that allowing private enterprises into the fuel market is a revolutionary change in Cuba's communist economy, aimed at circumventing restrictions imposed on state entities. „We have always supported Cuba in its struggle for independence and the right to choose its own path of development.” — Vladimir Putin Washington is closely monitoring the movements of the Sea Horse tanker, which may herald further escalation of tensions between the White House and the Kremlin.