A Russian oil tanker is crossing the Atlantic, and its next move could spark new tensions between the United States and Russia over Cuba.
The tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, a Russian state-owned vessel under U.S. sanctions, is carrying about 730,000 barrels of crude oil. It departed from the Russian port of Primorsk on March 9 and recently passed through the English Channel with a brief escort from a Russian naval ship before continuing into the Atlantic.
Official shipping records list the tanker’s destination as “Atlantis, USA.” However, the only place with that name in the United States is a small city in Florida that has no major oil facilities. Shipping data analysts say the ship is actually headed for the port of Matanzas on Cuba’s northern coast and could arrive early next week.
If the tanker reaches Cuba, the cargo could provide the island with roughly a month’s supply of fuel at a time when the country is facing a severe energy shortage. Cuba has struggled to obtain oil after the United States increased pressure on other countries and shipping companies not to deliver fuel to the island.
That pressure has already affected other shipments. One Chinese-owned tanker, the Sea Horse, was reportedly headed toward Cuba with Russian fuel but changed course after weeks drifting at sea while searching for another buyer.
Energy expert Jorge Piñón of the University of Texas at Austin said U.S. Coast Guard vessels are positioned near Cuba and could intercept ships if ordered to do so. According to Piñón, the United States has issued directives aimed at stopping oil shipments from reaching the island.
Cuba has not received a major oil delivery in more than two months. The country previously relied heavily on Venezuelan supplies, and the shortage has contributed to widespread power outages and rising prices across the island.
As the situation worsens, President Donald Trump has intensified his rhetoric about the United States taking action toward Cuba, describing the country as weakened. Meanwhile, the Kremlin has said Russia is prepared to help Cuba deal with its energy crisis, arguing that the island’s economic struggles are the result of the long-standing U.S. embargo.