Putin thanked the tanker crew for the successful special mission

Russian President Vladimir Putin expressed gratitude to the crew of the Russian tanker. He delivered fuel to Cuba, despite the US blockade.

"On August 6, President of the Russian Federation Vladimir Putin thanked the crew members of the tanker Anatoly Kolodkin for the high professionalism shown in delivering humanitarian aid to the Republic of Cuba," Sovcomflot reports.

The largest tanker company in Russia clarified that in the spring of 2026 Cuba faced an acute fuel crisis against the backdrop of an energy blockade by the United States and, on behalf of the government, the Anatoly Kolodkin tanker delivered a humanitarian cargo of oil to the port of Matanzas on March 30.

"This flight was extremely important: the supplied energy resources made it possible to ensure the operation of hospitals and water supply systems, to prevent the complete collapse of the Cuban economy," Sovcomflot reports.