Russia planning to send 2nd vessel with fuel to Cuba - Russian energy minister

KAZAN. April 2 (Interfax) - Russia is planning to send a second vessel with fuel to Cuba, Russian Energy Minister Sergei Tsivilev told journalists on the sidelines of the Energoprom-26 forum.

"Yesterday, a large meeting took place in St. Petersburg, and representatives of Cuba arrived. Cuba is under a complete blockade, it has been cut off. Who delivered the oil supply? A Russian vessel broke through the blockade. Now a second one is being loaded; we will not leave the Cubans in trouble," Tsivilev said.

Russia's Anatoly Kolodkin tanker had previously transported 100,000 tonnes of oil as humanitarian aid to Cuba.

Over the past few months, the U.S. administration has been striving to block fuel shipments to Cuba. The situation has been exacerbated by the fact that Havana previously received multiple oil shipments from Venezuela, which ceased after Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro was removed from power and detained by U.S. military forces.