'Everything is fine': Russian tourists arriving from Cuba say fuel crisis not obvious

Record ID: 2340313

  • Title: 'Everything is fine': Russian tourists arriving from Cuba say fuel crisis not obvious
  • Date: 13th February 2026
  • Summary: MOSCOW, RUSSIA (FEBRUARY 13, 2026) (REUTERS) VARIOUS OF ARRIVALS TIMETABLE AT SHEREMETYEVO AIRPORT ARRIVALS HALL EXIT (SOUNDBITE) (Russian) RUSSIAN TOURIST, VALERY, SAYING: "We didn't notice anything. We went on excursions, to both Havana and Varadero. Yes, they say it's hard for the locals; they have no means of getting to work, so they hitchhike. The shuttle buses weren'
  • Embargoed:
  • Keywords: Cuba Moscow Russia U.S. fuel crisis tourists
  • Location: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • City: MOSCOW, RUSSIA
  • Country: Russia
  • Topics: Europe,Society/Social Issues
  • Reuters ID: LVA001531113022026RP1
  • Aspect Ratio: 16:9
  • Story Text:EDITORS' NOTE - PLEASE ALSO SEE EDIT 5069 FROM CUBA THAT IS REUTERS VIDEO OF RUSSIAN TOURISTS AT HAVANA AIRPORT PREPARING TO BOARD FLIGHTS BACK TO MOSCOW
    Russian tourists arriving on Friday (February 13) to Moscow from Cuba said the fuel crisis in the Caribbean country hadn't affected them in any way.
    Russia plans to fly its tourists out of Cuba in the coming days and then suspend all flights until a jet fuel shortage eases, aviation regulator Rosaviatsia said on Wednesday (February 11).
    It said Rossiya, part of the Aeroflot group, and Severny Veter (Nordwind) would only be operating passenger flights to get tourists back from Cuba, a move both airlines said in separate statements would take effect on Thursday (February 12).
    At Sheremetyevo International Airport in Moscow, on Friday, Russians interviewed by Reuters said they didn't notice any changes during their vacations and left home right on time.
    "We spent there 14 days and left as planned, according to the tickets we had," Svetlana said. "We had food, we had rest, we didn't have any power shortages. Everything was fine, we didn't feel any deficit in anything at all."
    U.S. President Donald Trump's administration has declared Cuba "an unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and said the communist-run island will no longer receive oil from Venezuela. Washington has threatened to impose tariffs on other suppliers, like Mexico, if they continue to ship fuel to the island.
    Cuba itself warned international airlines that jet fuel would no longer be available on the island from Tuesday.
    Russia's economy ministry on Wednesday advised tourists to cease all tourist travel to Cuba until the situation normalized and told Russian tour operators to suspend sales.
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