A sanctioned Russian cargo jet linked to military transport quietly touched down in Cuba on Sunday night, renewing concerns in Washington about Moscow’s growing footprint in the region. The arrival closely resembles the same flight behavior seen in the weeks leading up to the U.S. operation that removed Nicolás Maduro from power in Venezuela.
The Ilyushin Il-76, operated by the sanctioned Russian carrier Aviacon Zitotrans, was tracked arriving at San Antonio de los Baños Airfield, a Cuban military base located about 30 miles south of Havana. Public flight data shows the plane departed Russia, stopping in St. Petersburg and Sochi, then continued on to Mauritania and the Dominican Republic. Each stop demanded approval from host governments, a sign of which nations are still willing to give access to Russian military-linked aviation despite broad Western sanctions.
Aircraft Repeats Travel Pattern Seen Ahead of U.S. Action in Venezuela
Flight-tracking records reveal the same aircraft visited Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba in late October 2025 during mounting friction between Washington and Caracas. That movement came shortly before U.S. forces launched the operation that ended Maduro’s rule, a sequence officials now treat as an early warning indicator when similar Russian aircraft appear in the region.
Trump Tightens Pressure on Cuba
Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel is now facing escalating pressure from President Donald Trump, who has shifted aggressively toward Havana in recent weeks. On Thursday, Trump announced a national emergency tied to Cuba, arguing the Cuban government poses an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. security and foreign policy interests. The administration also said penalties would be imposed on any nation supplying oil to Cuba without U.S. approval.
Trump confirmed on Sunday that the U.S. has opened direct talks with Cuban officials.
“Cuba is a failing nation. It has been for a long time, but now it doesn’t have Venezuela to prop it up,” Trump told reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Florida.
“So we’re talking to the people from Cuba, the highest people in Cuba, to see what happens. I think we’re going to make a deal with Cuba.”
Washington Watches Moscow’s Moves Carefully
Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have both signaled they support political change in Cuba, though the administration has not said whether such a shift would involve military action.
U.S. officials have long warned that Russian military cooperation with Cuba could pose security risks close to American shores. Moscow’s presence faded after the Cold War, but in the last decade Russia has slowly expanded defense and intelligence ties with Havana.
Sanctioned Airline Under Scrutiny
The Il-76 aircraft involved is capable of carrying roughly 50 tons of cargo or about 200 personnel, raising questions about its purpose in Cuba. Aviacon Zitotrans remains sanctioned by the United States, Canada and Ukraine for its role in supporting Russia’s defense industry.
“Aviacon Zitotrans has shipped military equipment such as rockets, warheads, and helicopter parts all over the world,” the U.S. Treasury Department said in January 2023, when it added the airline to its sanctions list.
It is still unclear what the jet carried on this latest journey. During earlier activity in Venezuela, Russian state media and a Russian lawmaker said the same aircraft delivered Pantsir-S1 short-range and Buk-M2E medium-range air defense systems to Caracas.
