Russia Plans Second Oil Tanker to Cuba Amid US Blockade

Russia announced plans Thursday to send a second oil tanker to Cuba, following the arrival of the first such shipment in three months amid an ongoing United States fuel blockade on the island nation.

The Russian-flagged tanker Anatoly Kolodkin docked at Cuba's Matanzas port on Tuesday, carrying 730,000 barrels of crude oil. Experts estimate the delivery could yield about 180,000 barrels of diesel, sufficient to meet Cuba's daily demand for nine or 10 days. Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilyov confirmed the second shipment is being loaded, stating during an energy forum in Kazan, "Cuba is in a total blockade, it's been cut off. A Russian vessel broke through the blockade. A second one is being loaded right now. We will not leave Cubans alone in trouble."

The United States imposed the blockade in late January, threatening tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba. This followed the capture of Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro by U.S. forces, which halted Venezuela's critical oil exports to the island. Cuba, which produces only about 40 percent of its required fuel, has relied heavily on imports from Venezuela and Mexico to sustain its energy grid. Mexico suspended its...