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Russia will send a second ship carrying oil to Cuba, Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev said on Thursday, as the Caribbean nation continues to grapple with a severe energy crisis. The announcement comes days after a Russian-flagged tanker delivered crude to Cuba, marking the first significant oil shipment to the island in about three months.

"A vessel from the Russian Federation broke through the blockade. A second one is now being loaded. We will not leave the Cubans in trouble," Tsivilev was quoted as saying by Russian state media, according to multiple reports. The remarks were made during the Energoprom-2026 forum in Kazan, as reported by TASS.

Coverage Comparison

Reporting on the story was consistent across outlets including Al Jazeera, France 24, The Hindu, and TASS, all of which confirmed the minister's statement. The accounts align on the key details: a Russian tanker, the Anatoly Kolodkin, arrived in Cuba's port of Matanzas this week carrying approximately 730,000 barrels of crude, and Russia has committed to a second shipment. The delivery was permitted by the US administration for humanitarian reasons, with decisions handled on a case-by-case basis.

While the core facts are uniform, the framing varied. Al Jazeera and France 24 emphasized the US blockade's role in Cuba's crisis, describing it as a "fuel blockade" and noting the island's weeks of blackouts and shortages. TASS, the Russian state agency, highlighted Russia's perspective, describing the operation as breaking the blockade and emphasizing Moscow's solidarity with Havana. The Hindu, reporting from an Indian perspective, focused on the geopolitical dimension, including the US abduction of Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro as a catalyst for Cuba's fuel shortfall.

Key Claims

The following claims have been reported across multiple sources:
  • Russia will send a second oil shipment to Cuba. This was stated by Energy Minister Tsivilev on April 2, as reported by all five outlets.
  • A Russian tanker delivered crude to Cuba. The tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying between 700,000 and 730,000 barrels, arrived in Matanzas on March 31, 2026, according to Al Jazeera, France 24, and The Hindu.
  • The US blockade has contributed to Cuba's energy crisis. The blockade, imposed after the US military operation in Venezuela in January, has deprived Cuba of its main oil supplier, as reported by multiple outlets.
  • President Trump said he had "no problem" with Russia sending oil to Cuba. This quote, reported by France 24 and The Hindu, reflects the US administration's approval of the first shipment for humanitarian reasons.
  • Cuba has endured blackouts, fuel rationing, and food shortages. This characterization appeared in reports from Al Jazeera, France 24, and The Hindu.
Some claims appear in only one outlet and are not yet independently verified, such as the White House signing a decree allowing customs tariffs on goods from countries that supply oil to Cuba, as reported by TASS.

Perspectives

The story presents distinct viewpoints from Russia, the United States, and Cuba.

Moscow frames the oil deliveries as a humanitarian necessity and a demonstration of solidarity. "Cuba is our closest friend and partner in the Caribbean, and we don't have the right to abandon it," Foreign Ministry spokesperson Maria Zakharova said at a briefing, as quoted by Al Jazeera. Tsivilev's comments reinforced this, using language of breaking a blockade.

The United States, as represented by President Trump, took a pragmatic stance. "Cuba's finished. They have a bad regime. They have very bad and corrupt leadership and whether or not they get a boat of oil it's not going to matter," Trump said on Sunday, according to France 24 and The Hindu. The administration allowed the shipment for humanitarian reasons, but stressed case-by-case decision-making.

Cuban officials expressed gratitude for the Russian assistance. Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy wrote on social media: "Our gratitude to the Government and People of Russia for all the support we are receiving," as reported by Al Jazeera. Meanwhile, protests in Havana on Thursday showed public frustration with the blockade, with crowds shouting "Yes to Cuba! No to the blockade!"

The broader geopolitical context, as reported by TASS, notes that the US-led military operation in Venezuela on January 3 affected Cuba's oil supply, marking a significant event in the region. The operation's impact on Cuba's energy security was a recurring theme across all coverage.