Cuba’s fuel crisis deepens as tanker turns away

A ship widely reported to be carrying Russian-sourced oil to Cuba altered its course and pulled away from its planned voyage, underscoring a deepening energy crisis on the Caribbean island that has disrupted daily life and public services. The vessel, identified by maritime intelligence firms as the Sea Horse and believed to be laden with nearly 200,000 barrels of gasoil, a diesel-type fuel essential for transport and electricity generation, was last tracked drifting in the North Atlantic after abandoning its approach toward Cuban waters. This development comes as Cuba struggles with critical fuel shortages following a tightening of U. S. sanctions that has choked off traditional energy supplies and created acute logistical challenges for Havana.

Cuba’s dependence on imported fuels has long shaped its economy, but this reliance has become a strategic vulnerability as Washington’s pressure campaign intensifies. U. S. policy directives signed early this year impose tariffs on any country supplying oil to Cuba and authorise expanded enforcement to intercept and seize vessels believed to be engaged in sanction-evasion activity. Analysts tracking ship movements say the Sea Horse’s reversal illustrates the chilling effect these measures have had on shipping routes, deterring carriers from completing voyages that could expose them to enforcement actions or secondary sanctions.

The pivot by the Sea Horse compounds a string of aborted fuel deliveries. At least one other tanker that had been making regular trips to deliver LPG to Cuba diverted to Kingston, Jamaica, after being unable to complete its planned cargo operations, while a smaller vessel returning from Haiti also reversed course en route to the island. These disruptions have intensified the squeeze on an energy system already strained by years of underinvestment and infrastructural weakness.

The shortage of fuel is having cascading effects on Cuban society. Electricity generation has faltered, with observers noting significant declines in night-time light emissions across major population centres, a proxy for reduced grid output. Power outages have multiplied, affecting households, transport networks and critical facilities. Essential services, particularly in healthcare and logistics, have been strained as hospitals face fuel rationing that limits emergency response capacity, while transport of food and medical supplies has become increasingly erratic.

The crisis traces its roots to a confluence of geopolitical and policy shifts. Longstanding suppliers such as Venezuela, once a major source of crude and refined products to Havana, have all but halted shipments after U. S. forces detained the South American nation’s former president, pausing that supply line entirely. Mexico, previously another key supplier, has curtailed its deliveries in the face of U. S. tariff threats, further shrinking Cuba’s options for securing fuel.

Efforts to find alternative supply routes or partners have proved difficult. Despite Russian assertions of continued support for Cuba and diplomatic denouncements of U. S. pressure, actual deliveries have been sporadic, as evidenced by the Sea Horse’s diversion. Shipping data suggests that, even when vessels attempt to reach Cuban ports, they may adopt complex routing, ship-to-ship transfers or signal manipulation to avoid detection and enforcement, practices commonly associated with so-called “shadow fleet” operations used to circumvent sanctions.

The humanitarian implications of the fuel shortage have drawn international attention. The United Nations has warned that prolonged energy deficits could threaten food production, water systems and essential public services, pushing vulnerable populations into deeper hardship. Cuban officials have instituted energy-saving measures and prioritised limited fuel for critical sectors, but many ordinary citizens continue to grapple with prolonged blackouts, increased transportation costs and shortages of everyday commodities.

Responses from external governments have been mixed. Ottawa has indicated plans to provide support to ease Cuba’s energy distress, though details remain vague and diplomatic tensions with Washington persist over broader sanctions and human rights concerns. Meanwhile, Mexico has dispatched humanitarian aid shipments in a bid to mitigate some of the socioeconomic impacts of the embargo, even as the larger energy gap remains unresolved.