An envoy from Moscow gives no details about this cooperation and limits himself to noting that it involves restarting the Antillana de Acero plant, paralyzed by the lack of electricity
14ymedio, Havana, April 11, 2026 – Speaking Friday, the Russian Deputy Minister of Industry Roman Chekushov said, “We discussed with our Cuban partners that Russian companies would have access to the management of industrial enterprises in the Republic [of Cuba].” Chekushov is in Havana as part of a delegation led by Russian Deputy Foreign Minister Sergei Ryabkov.
Last Thursday, Chekushov had stated to the same outlet that both parties have agreed on “an energy supply plan” as a basis for reactivating production at the Cuban metallurgical plant.
“We will try to launch rolled steel production once the small remaining outstanding debt is settled, which will increase the turnover of metallurgical product sales and allow further development of that business with those funds,” the Russian official noted.
Chekushov stressed that Cuba’s current economic priority is the restoration of normal electricity supply. “All industrial projects are linked to this,” he said.
“We discussed with our Cuban partners that Russian companies would have access to the management of industrial enterprises in the Republic”
The most important project within this bilateral cooperation is the modernization of the Antillana de Acero José Martí metallurgical plant, whose rehabilitation was agreed upon in 2015 by both governments. According to the Russian official, the contract is 93% completed in terms of value, which he described as “practically the end.”
The completion of the project would allow an annual production of around 160,000 tons of rolled steel, in a context where Cuba’s heavy industry has operated for years with serious energy and investment limitations.
He also noted that in the case of the assembly of Russian vehicles in Cuba, suspended last month as a result of the energy crisis just one year after its launch, is expected to resume once the energy supply is normalized.
The Russian Deputy Foreign Minister, Sergei Ryabkov, at a press conference following his meeting with Cuban president Miguel Díaz-Canel last Thursday, stated: “Ensuring the Island’s energy security is a priority. It is premature to talk about next steps. It is widely known that we are not limited to the supply of the batch of oil that has already arrived on the tanker Anatoly Kolodkin.”
A second tanker loaded with 251,000 barrels of diesel and coming from the Baltic port of Vysotsk is heading toward the Caribbean, probably to Cuba
Following the arrival in Cuba on March 30 of the Russian oil tanker Anatoly Kolodkin, with 100,000 tons of oil, a second shipment appears to already be en route to the Caribbean.
However, Ryabkov did not confirm the departure of the second Russian tanker promised a few days earlier by Energy Minister Sergei Tsiviliov, who boasted of having “broken the energy blockade” imposed by Washington.
According to maritime tracking agencies, the tanker Universal, loaded with 320,000 barrels of fuel and coming from the Baltic port of Vysotsk, has just crossed the English Channel and is heading toward the Caribbean, with an arrival date of April 23, probably to Cuba, although it keeps its final destination secret, as do all Russian ships sanctioned by the United States and Europe.
Translated by Regina Anavy
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