MOSCOW: Russia said Friday it was ready to help its crisis-hit ally Cuba, but declined to comment on whether it had shipped deliveries of much-needed oil to the Caribbean island.
Cuba has been under a US fuel blockade since shortly after Washington deposed Venezuelan president Nicolas Maduro, a key ally of Havana, on January 3.
The blockade has caused a dire economic crisis and blackouts have been worsened by the sudden suspension of oil supplies.
According to maritime trackers, a tanker carrying Russian diesel is set to arrive in Cuba "in several days" after using deceptive manoeuvres to reach the island.
Asked whether Russia was sending fuel to Cuba, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters: "We are in constant contact with the Cuban leadership, with our Cuban friends, and we are indeed discussing possible options for providing assistance."
He added: "That is all I can say on this subject."
Maritime intelligence firm Windward reported online that a Hong Kong-flagged vessel, the Sea Horse, was en route to Cuba, likely with around 190,000 barrels of Russian diesel.
"If or when the tanker arrives, this will be the first confirmed arrival of a refined products cargo at the island since early January," it said.
The United States on Thursday amended its sanctions to offer relief to Russian oil tankers already at sea, but said shipments bound for Cuba and North Korea were still subject to restrictions.