ISTANBUL

The Russian tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, carrying a humanitarian shipment of 100,000 tons of crude oil, arrived Tuesday at the Cuban port of Matanzas, according to the Russian Embassy in Cuba.

Kremlin spokesperson Dmitrii Peskov said Moscow considers it its duty to provide necessary assistance to its “Cuban friends” amid what he described as a “severe blockade.”

"Under the severe blockade, our Cuban friends need petroleum products and oil. This is essential for the operation of life support systems in the country, for generating electricity, and for providing medical and other services to the population,” the embassy cited Peskov as saying in a statement.

Earlier Monday, US media reported that the US Coast Guard did not intercept the Russian tanker despite the blockade imposed by President Donald Trump, who said he sees no problem with the supply of Russian oil to Cuba.

The US has maintained a blockade on oil shipments to Cuba since January, threatening countries sending fuel to the island and, in one instance, escorting a tanker away from Cuban waters.

The blockade has severely disrupted energy use in Cuba, leading to daily blackouts, major fuel shortages, rising prices and deteriorating medical care, according to British daily The Times.