NEW YORK, March 30 (TASS): US authorities will allow a Russian oil tanker to reach Cuba despite Washington’s energy blockade of the island, The New York Times reported.

According to its information, the tanker is carrying roughly 730,000 barrels of oil and was reportedly located 15 nautical miles from the island on Sunday. The newspaper noted that the vessel could enter Cuban territorial waters as early as Sunday evening and arrive in the city of Matanzas by Tuesday.

The arrival of the Russian ship carrying energy supplies will help Cuba avoid running out of fuel for several weeks, the NYT added.

The White House, the Pentagon, the US Department of Homeland Security and the US Coast Guard have not yet responded to a TASS request for comment on the report.

Earlier, Russian Energy Minister Sergey Tsivilyov told reporters that Russia continues to deliver humanitarian cargo to Cuba, including fuel.

Photo from TASS