Moscow, March 30 Russia will continue to supply energy resources to Havana, the Kremlin said on Monday, as a Russian tanker carrying the first consignment of 773,000 barrels of oil arrived at a Cuban port.
"We will continue to work on this. Given the difficult situation the Cubans are now in, we cannot remain indifferent. Therefore, we will continue working on this issue," Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters.
The official news agency TASS noted that the energy situation in Havana has worsened following the US-led military operation in Venezuela on January 3, which resulted in the capture of President Nicolás Maduro.
On January 29, the US President signed an executive order authorizing Washington to impose punitive tariffs on goods from countries that supply oil to Cuba.
It was previously reported that the US does not object to periodic oil shipments to Cuba by Russia and other countries for humanitarian reasons.
Despite the de facto US fuel blockade of the island, the US Coast Guard's two patrol boats in the region did not attempt to intercept the Russian tanker, the non-government Interfax agency reported.
According to some reports circulating on social media, Anatoly Kolodkin, who is on Russia's list of sanctioned "shadow fleet," was escorted at various stages of sailing through the English Channel and the Atlantic by a naval frigate and a submarine in accordance with the government decision.
On March 25, the Maritime Board of Russia had decided to provide naval escort to vessels sailing to and from Russian ports.
To avoid detention, the vessel operators and owners involved in shipping to and from Russia have received detailed instructions on operational coordination with ports and naval authorities.
"Monitoring of cargo ships carrying Russian freight has been intensified. Authorities can now request, via port captains, escorts for Russian-flagged vessels from mobile fire support units, bolstering maritime security," the Maritime Board had said in a statement.