Cuba to Receive Sanctioned Russian Oil Tanker

CUBA – Cuba is set to receive a major fuel shipment as it battles a deepening energy crisis.

A sanctioned Russian oil tanker carrying about 730-thousand barrels of fuel is expected to dock at the port of Matanzas marking the first such delivery to the island this year.

U.S. officials say the shipment is being handled on a case-by-case basis despite existing sanctions.

Cuban authorities hope the fuel will help stabilize the country’s electricity grid potentially providing relief for about a week.

The island currently produces less than half of the fuel it needs with widespread blackouts and transportation disruptions continuing.