In a development which sounds reminiscent of the most dangerous moments of the Cold War, a Russian military cargo plane has been observed landing in Cuba, just as Havana is in Washington’s regime change crosshairs.
The Ilyushin Il-76, operated by the government-linked airline Aviacon Zitotrans, is reportedly under US sanctions as it has a well-documented history of ferrying military gear to Latin America. It touched down late Sunday at a Cuban military airfield.
The same aircraft – registered RA-78765 – logged flights to Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba in October amid rising tensions between Washington and Caracas.
According to details in Fox News:
Flight-tracking records show the aircraft stopped in St. Petersburg and Sochi in Russia; Mauritania, Africa; and the Dominican Republic. Each landing would have required approval from host governments, offering a window into which countries are continuing to permit Russian military-linked aviation activity despite Western sanctions.
The large, long range aircraft can carry up to 50 tons of cargo or roughly 200 personnel.
The US Treasury first added the company to its sanctions list in January 2023. The statement said, “Aviacon Zitotrans has shipped military equipment such as rockets, warheads, and helicopter parts all over the world,. Aviacon Zitotrans has shipped defense materiel to Venezuela, Africa, and other locations.”
Whether this latest delivery involved weapons, equipment or infrastructure parts remains unclear. What is clear is that sanctioned Russian military logistics are once again operating in the Caribbean’s airspace.
However, from Havana’s viewpoint, it should be allowed to maintain alliances and routing business and transactions – even if on the military front, with a large power like Russia.
Days ago, Russian Ambassador to the UN Vassily Nebenzia vowed that there will be no repeat of the Venezuelan scenario in Cuba.
An Aviacon Zitotrans IL-76 cargo plane that has previously been used to deliver military related cargoes from Russia to Venezuela crossed the Atlantic for the first time this year, but this time its destination was Cuba. pic.twitter.com/74lxpJLOKa
— CNW (@ConflictsW) February 2, 2026
“There has undoubtedly been betrayal in Venezuela, this is being said quite openly. Some high-ranking officials have, in fact, betrayed the president. This scenario will not work in Cuba. I think that the Americans, despite the rhetoric they have been using against Cuba lately, are still just rhetoric. Because there will be no easy ride in Cuba if they want to repeat something like what happened in Venezuela,” Nebenzia told a Russian TV channel.
China has also lately called out the US over its threats against Cuba, with the Chinese Foreign Ministry on Friday stating, “China stands firmly against inhumane practices and moves that deprive the Cuban people of their rights to subsistence and development.”
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