For Cuba, where nearly 10 million people live, this is the eighth… (куба · отключение · остров)
For Cuba, where nearly 10 million people live, this is the eighth power outage since late 2024 and at least the third in the last six months — since January 2026 when the US began an energy blockade of the island by cutting off oil and petroleum product supplies.
Consensus
- Cuba experienced a nationwide blackout affecting around 10 million people.
- The blackout occurred in July 2026, following a series of similar events since late 2024.
- The national power grid failed completely, with no electricity supply across the country.
- The state-owned energy operator UNE confirmed the outage and launched an investigation into its causes.
- Recovery efforts are underway, including restoration work and activation of emergency protocols.
- U.S. sanctions on oil and fuel shipments to Cuba since January 2026 have worsened the energy crisis.
- Cuba's domestic fuel production covers only about 40% of national needs.
- Fuel reserves from a Russian tanker delivered in March were exhausted by late April 2026.
- The government has implemented planned, prolonged power outages (up to 70 hours) across the country.
Points of divergence
- This blackout is the third nationwide outage in six months and the eighth since late 2024. — vesti
- The U.S. energy blockade began in January 2026, with restrictions on oil and petroleum product deliveries. — meduza
- Reuters attributes the increased outages partly to poorly maintained power infrastructure, but primarily to the U.S. oil embargo. — kommersant
- The Cuban government proposed nearly 200 market-oriented reforms in the previous month, which did not change Washington’s stance. — vedomosti
- At the time of the blackout, two-thirds of the country was already without electricity. — fontanka
Coverage (5 sources)
- Cuba Experiences Third Nationwide Blackout in Six Months Due to US — Вести
- Blackout on Cuba — Third in Six Months — Meduza
- Mass blackout occurs in Cuba — Коммерсантъ
- Another blackout occurs in Cuba — Ведомости
- Cuba's National Power Grid Failed; 10 Million People Left Without Electricity — Фонтанка