Russian oil tanker docks in Cuba ending near-total blockade

A Russian-owned tanker carrying an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil has docked on the northern coast of Cuba, ending a near-total fuel blockade by the US on the communist-run island.

The tanker's arrival marks the first crude oil shipment to dock in one of Cuba's ports since early January.

It follows an apparent softening in Washington's oil blockade, after President Trump said last weekend that he had "no problem" with countries sending fuel to Cuba.

The country has been hit by a series of nationwide blackouts, and most hospitals have been unable to operate normally, with severe rationing in place.

The Anatoly Kolodkin oil tanker arrived in the port of Matanzas, east of Havana, on Tuesday.

President Trump said on Sunday that he did not object to other nations sending oil to the island because Cubans "have to survive".

Cuba was cut off from oil supplies in January after US forces captured its main regional ally, Venezuela's socialist leader Nicolás Maduro - and Trump threatened to impose tariffs on countries that sent oil to the island.

White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt said on Monday: "We allowed this ship to reach Cuba in order to provide humanitarian needs to the Cuban people. These decisions are being made on a case-by-case basis."

However, Washington said there has been no change in policy and the oil blockade remains in place.

While the crude oil is now in Cuba, it still needs to be refined at an ageing refinery in Havana – a process which could take longer than a week.

The island has been feeling the effects of the blockade with most hospitals unable to function normally and schools and government offices being forced to close. Cuba's main economic motor of tourism has also been impacted.

Drivers have been limited to purchasing a maximum of 20 litres at petrol pumps, for which they must join a waiting list via a state-run app. Wait times can last several weeks, and the fuel must be paid for in US dollars.

Analysts have said the Russian oil would buy the Cuban economy only a few weeks. Jorge Piñón, an expert on Cuba's energy sector at the University of Texas at Austin, said the more urgent need is diesel, which could be used for backup power generators or for transportation systems.