Russia is supplying fuel to Cuba as humanitarian assistance, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev said on Wednesday while speaking to reporters on the sidelines of the Russian energy ministry’s conference.
Tsivilev did not disclose details about the scale or timing of the shipments, but the move comes as Cuba struggles with a severe fuel shortage that has made widespread power outages a daily occurrence across the island.
The development follows a decision by the U.S. Department of the Treasury to tighten the terms of a waiver that previously allowed transactions involving Russian-origin crude and petroleum products already loaded on tankers.
Under the revised rules announced last week, the waiver now specifically excludes transactions involving North Korea, Cuba and the Russian-annexed region of Crimea.
Cuba’s energy crisis has worsened this year, with the island receiving only two oil tankers carrying imported fuel so far, according to data from financial analytics firm LSEG.
Ship-tracking data from LSEG also showed that a tanker originally bound for Cuba last Friday diverted its route to Trinidad and Tobago instead.
The diversion has dealt another blow to the Caribbean nation, which is grappling with fuel scarcity that has disrupted electricity generation and triggered frequent nationwide blackouts.
Russia’s fuel deliveries could provide temporary relief as Cuba searches for ways to stabilize its energy supply amid tightening international restrictions and limited import options.