Answering reporters' questions, Russian Transport Minister Andrey Nikitin said that Russia is ready to resume flight operations but still needs to wait for refueling conditions in Cuba and the approval of the authorities of the two countries.
For our part, we want that and are ready. But a decision needs to be made from the other side," he said.
Previously, two Russian airlines, Rossiya Airlines and Nordwind Airlines, completed flights to repatriate Russian tourists from Cuba on February 22. A total of 9 flights took nearly 4,300 tourists from Cuba to Russia.
On February 11, the Russian Federal Aviation Administration announced that due to difficulties in refueling aircraft in Cuba, the two airlines were forced to adjust flight schedules to the country's airports.
The Russian Ministry of Economic Development also advised citizens to limit their travel to Cuba and requested travel companies to temporarily stop selling tours due to emergency fuel.
The fuel situation strongly affects Cuba due to disrupted supplies, especially the shortage of Jet A-1, standard aircraft fuel, forcing many foreign airlines to stop or adjust routes, and some are considering mid-trip stops to refuel.
Not only stopping at aviation issues, Russia also strongly spoke out about the political and economic context that Cuba is facing.
Director of the International Organizations Department of the Russian Ministry of Foreign Affairs - Mr. Kirill Logvinov - affirmed that Moscow supports Havana in requesting an immediate end to the US encirclement, trade, economic and financial embargo that has lasted for more than 60 years.
Mr. Logvinov recalled that on October 29, 2025, the United Nations General Assembly adopted a resolution calling on the US to end economic, trade and financial embargoes on Cuba.
According to Russia, this resolution once again reflects the widespread opposition of the international community to unilateral sanctions imposed by the United States.
Russian officials also criticized what he called US interference in the internal affairs of Venezuela and Cuba. He said that an emergency meeting of the United Nations Security Council was held a few days after the US took action in Venezuela. Most countries, except for some Western countries, considered it an act of violating international law and the United Nations Charter.
Russia's desire to resume flights to Cuba is therefore not only a story of tourism or trade, but also associated with a clear political message: Strengthening cooperation with Havana in the context of Cuba continuing to be under pressure from US sanctions.
