Russia Evacuates Tourists as Cuba Runs Out of Jet Fuel

Cuba has not received a single oil tanker in weeks. Now even Moscow — Havana’s oldest strategic ally — is pulling its people out. This is part of The Rio Times’ daily coverage of Cuba affairs and Latin American financial news.

Russia’s aviation regulator Rosaviatsia announced Wednesday that Rossiya, an Aeroflot subsidiary, and Nordwind will operate repatriation-only flights starting Thursday, carrying enough fuel for the round trip.

Once roughly 4,000 tourists are evacuated, both carriers will suspend Cuba service indefinitely. Russia’s Economy Ministry told travelers to cancel all Cuba plans, and Pegas Touristik, the country’s largest tour operator, halted sales.

Russia joins a growing list. Air Canada, WestJet, and Air Transat cancelled all flights after Cuba declared Jet A-1 unavailable at all nine airports from February 10 through March 11.

Fuel Crisis Paralyzes Cuban Aviation

Canadian carriers had 605 flights scheduled this month. U.S. airlines continued operating but required aircraft to carry return fuel onboard.

The crisis traces to Washington. After U.S. forces deposed Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro in January, Trump signed an executive order declaring Cuba “an unusual and extraordinary threat” and threatening tariffs on any country selling it oil.

Venezuela, which supplied a third of Cuba‘s crude, was cut off. Mexico, covering 44%, halted shipments under pressure. No foreign tanker has docked in weeks.

The fallout reaches beyond airports. Blackouts of up to 10 hours are common, hospitals have cancelled surgeries, and state firms shifted to four-day weeks.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitri Peskov accused Washington of “suffocating” Cuba but offered no concrete relief. For Cubans, comparisons to the 1990s Special Period — the collapse that followed the loss of Soviet aid — are no longer hypothetical.

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