Russia announced it will send 80,000 tons of diesel fuel and equipment worth about $61 million to Cuba to help the island cope with a worsening energy crisis after Hurricane Rafael.
Cuba as Sister Nation
Russian Deputy Prime Minister Dmitri Chernyshenko made the announcement in Havana during a meeting of the Russian-Cuban intergovernmental commission on trade, economic, and technical cooperation, according to El Economista.
“Following President Vladimir Putin’s instructions, Russia is ready to give emergency aid to our sister nation, Cuba, given the current energy situation,” Chernyshenko said, as reported by Cuban state media.
He also noted that the Russian government will send repair materials for Cuba’s damaged energy infrastructure.
Hurricane Rafael, a Category 3 storm, recently hit western Cuba, including Havana, causing major damage and triggering widespread power outages.
This marked the second total blackout in three weeks, making an already critical situation worse.
A Million People Without Power
On Friday, Cuba’s Ministry of Energy and Mines reported partial power restoration in parts of Havana. Roughly 17% of the capital’s 2 million residents now have electricity.
However, more than a million people in provinces such as Mayabeque, Artemisa, and Pinar del Río remain without power.
Cuba’s national power system is in a fragile state. The island suffers from ongoing blackouts due to fuel shortages and frequent breakdowns in aging thermoelectric plants, most of which have been running for over 40 years without major upgrades.
Earlier this month, a major system failure led to a three-day nationwide blackout. In September 2022, Hurricane Ian had also knocked out power across the entire island for nearly a week.
Hurricane Rafael is the second major storm to hit Cuba in 2024, following Hurricane Óscar in October.
Óscar devastated northeastern Cuba, resulting in eight fatalities, damage to 12,000 homes, and crop losses across 13,000 hectares.
