ISTANBUL

Two ships carrying Russian oil and gas are due to arrive in Cuba, marking the island nation’s first energy deliveries in three months, the Financial Times reported Wednesday, citing maritime intelligence companies.

A Hong Kong-flagged vessel believed to be transporting around 27,000 tonnes of Russian gas was expected to arrive on Monday, while a Russian-flagged tanker carrying approximately 100,000 metric tons of crude is expected to dock on April 4, according to Samir Madani, co-founder of maritime intelligence firm TankerTrackers.com.

The deliveries come as Cuba faces a severe energy crisis driven largely by US pressure.

After a US-led operation in early January captured and extradited Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro, oil shipments from Venezuela, Cuba's primary supplier, were disrupted, bringing the country’s already fragile economy to a near standstill.

The Trump administration has further tightened the squeeze by threatening sanctions against other fuel providers, leaving Cuba with regular electricity blackouts.