A Cuban Coast Guard ship docks in the port of Havana on February 25, 2026. On February 25, 2026, the Cuban Coast Guard announced that four people aboard a U.S.-registered speedboat were shot dead and six others injured in a gunfight near the Cuban coast amid heightened tensions with Washington.
Adalberto Roque AFP | Getty Images
The Kremlin said Thursday that Cuba’s fuel shortage situation is worsening after a fatal accident involving a U.S.-registered speedboat off the coast of the Caribbean island.
According to Russian state news agency RIA Novosti, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters, “We see the situation surrounding Cuba as escalating.”
“The most important thing is the humanitarian element. Of course, the humanitarian issue of the Cuban people must be resolved, and no one should create obstacles,” Peskov said.
The comments came shortly after Cuba’s Interior Ministry announced that border guards killed four asylum seekers and injured six others on a Florida-marked speedboat that entered territorial waters.
The ship’s 10 passengers reportedly opened fire on Cuban patrols off the island’s north coast.
Cuba’s Interior Ministry said all of the attackers were Cubans living in the United States and were armed, some with criminal records. It added that items seized from the boat included assault rifles, handguns, improvised explosive devices and camouflage clothing.
Secretary of State Marco Rubio called the incident “extremely unusual” and said the White House would “respond appropriately” after conducting an independent investigation.
Cuba is currently facing a worsening economic crisis amid the US oil blockade.
The Trump administration has effectively cut off Cuba from Venezuelan oil since it launched a military operation to capture Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro on January 3. Cuba said 32 of its citizens were killed in the attack.
US President Donald Trump then said the Cuban government posed an “unusual and extraordinary threat” and vowed to impose tariffs on any country that supplies the country with oil.
U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio speaks to reporters in the departure lounge before returning to Washington after meeting with Caribbean Community (CARICOM) leaders at Robert L. Bradshaw International Airport in Basseterre, St. Kitts and Nevis, February 25, 2026.
Jonathan Ernst | AFP | Getty Images
Cuba, which has denounced U.S. pressure, has taken steps to protect vital services and ensure fuel supplies to key sectors.
The United Nations has warned of a possible humanitarian “collapse” in Cuba as the country’s oil supplies dwindle.
