MOSCOW, Feb. 12 (Xinhua) -- Russian airline Aeroflot on Wednesday announced that it would begin repatriating Russian citizens stranded in Cuba starting from the 12th.

People walk along an empty street in Havana on February 8, 2026. (File photo: AFP)

Flights from Varadero to Moscow are scheduled for Feb. 12, 14, 17, 19 and 21, while a Havana-Moscow flight is scheduled for Feb. 16, Aeroflot wrote on its Telegram channel, adding that "all subsequent flights on these routes will be canceled from Feb. 24."

The Russian Embassy in Cuba maintains regular contact with the Aeroflot representative office and Cuban aviation officials, taking all necessary steps to facilitate the repatriation of Russian tourists.

On Wednesday, Vice President of the Association of Tour Operators of Russia Artur Muradyan said that about 4,800 Russian tourists remain in Cuba.

Cuba is currently facing an acute fuel crisis caused by U.S. pressure on countries exporting oil to the island nation.