OFAC Blocks Cuba From Russian Oil — But Two Tankers Are Already En Route. One Is Sanctioned. One Is Running Dark.

The U.S. eased Russian oil sanctions for the world. It carved Cuba out. Now a sanctioned Sovcomflot tanker and an AIS-spoofing Hong Kong vessel are testing the blockade live.

The Story

The Treasury Department’s Office of Foreign Assets Control published an amended general license on Thursday adding Cuba to the list of countries explicitly barred from receiving Russian crude oil or petroleum products. The move closes a loophole in the broader Russian oil sanctions relief the U.S. issued on March 12, a temporary measure designe…