Russian Oil Tanker Heads to Cuba, Risking US Clash

Sanctioned tanker carrying 730,000 barrels of crude expected to arrive in Cuba on Monday

Mar. 20, 2026 at 5:50pm

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A Russian oil tanker, the Anatoly Kolodkin, is sailing across the Atlantic with a cargo of 730,000 barrels of crude oil and is expected to arrive at the port of Matanzas, Cuba on Monday. This shipment could provide Cuba with about a month's worth of badly needed fuel after a de facto US oil blockade dried up major deliveries in early January. However, the US has been pressuring countries not to supply Cuba with oil, and two US Coast Guard cutters are positioned to potentially intercept the Russian tanker off Cuba's northeast coast if ordered to do so.

Why it matters

The potential arrival of the Russian tanker in Cuba could trigger a fresh clash between the US and Russia over Cuba. The US has been trying to cut off Cuba's oil supply as part of its efforts to pressure the island nation, while Russia has vowed to provide assistance to Cuba during its energy crisis caused by the US embargo.

The details

The Anatoly Kolodkin, a Russian state-owned vessel under US sanctions, left Primorsk, Russia on March 9 and is now expected to arrive at the port of Matanzas, Cuba on Monday. The shipment could provide Cuba with about a month's worth of badly needed fuel after a de facto US oil blockade dried up major deliveries in early January. However, the US has been pressuring countries not to supply Cuba with oil, and two US Coast Guard cutters are positioned to potentially intercept the Russian tanker off Cuba's northeast coast if ordered to do so.

  • The Anatoly Kolodkin left Primorsk, Russia on March 9.
  • The tanker is expected to arrive at the port of Matanzas, Cuba on Monday, March 20.

The players

Anatoly Kolodkin

A Russian state-owned oil tanker under US sanctions that is carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil to Cuba.

United States Coast Guard

Two US Coast Guard cutters are positioned off Cuba's northeast coast to potentially intercept the Russian tanker if ordered to do so.

Cuba

The island nation that is facing an energy crisis due to a de facto US oil blockade and is expected to receive the shipment of Russian oil.

Russia

The country that owns the Anatoly Kolodkin tanker and has vowed to provide assistance to Cuba during its energy crisis caused by the US embargo.

Donald Trump

The former US president who has escalated rhetoric about "taking" Cuba and said he thinks he "could do anything" he wants with the island nation.

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What they’re saying

“The United States has issued a directive to prevent oil from entering Cuba, and those assets are there in case they need to act.”

— Jorge Pinon, Energy expert at the University of Texas at Austin

“Cuba is an independent sovereign state that faces major economic difficulties due to the suffocating embargo imposed on the country.”

— Dmitry Peskov, Kremlin spokesman

What’s next

The US Coast Guard cutters positioned off Cuba's northeast coast may intercept the Russian tanker if ordered to do so by the US government. The arrival of the tanker in Cuba could also prompt further escalation between the US and Russia over the island nation.

The takeaway

This incident highlights the ongoing tensions between the US and Russia over Cuba, as well as the impact of the US embargo on the Cuban people. It demonstrates how the geopolitical rivalry between the two superpowers continues to play out, with Cuba caught in the middle and facing severe economic hardship as a result.