Russians Stuck In Cuba Due To Fuel Crisis

• 9.02.2026, 17:45

Tourists are being evicted from hotels, air travel is virtually paralyzed.

The fuel crisis in Cuba has caused problems for Russian tourists, Mash and Shot reported. From February 10 to March 11, the country's nine international airports have imposed restrictions on refueling with aviation kerosene, and planes can only fly if they have fuel for the return trip. Havana International Airport issued a notice to that effect, confirming the lack of fuel for at least a month, writes The Moscow Times.

The ATOR estimates that about up to 4,700 Russian tourists are now on the island. Several of them have told Shot they have begun moving out of five-star hotels, explaining it is due to repair work and power supply problems. The difference in accommodation costs will not be compensated. The Association of Tour Operators (ATOR) states that some hotels in Cuban resorts suspend work for a while, and tourists are relocated for free, as a rule, to hotels of a higher category.

The problems also affected those who were just planning a trip. Thus, the flight SU6849 Moscow - Havana of the airline "Russia" was disrupted. According to passengers, the plane was already preparing for departure, the engines were started, but at the last moment the pilot announced the cancelation of the flight due to lack of fuel in Havana. Passengers were dropped off and offered to issue refunds or rebook their vacations to other destinations: Turkey, Egypt or China. Later, according to Flightradar24, the plane still left Sheremetyevo with a delay of almost five hours, but without passengers. Mash assumes that as an outbound flight for the return of Russians from Cuba.