Washington DC, March 29 -- The United States Coast Guard is allowing a Russian tanker carrying crude oil to proceed toward Cuba, potentially easing the island's worsening fuel crisis, The New York Times reported, citing a US official familiar with the matter.

According to the NYT, the tanker, reportedly owned by the Russian government, is carrying an estimated 730,000 barrels of crude oil and was located just miles from Cuban territorial waters on Sunday evening, as per ship-tracking data.

At its current speed, the vessel is expected to arrive at the port of Matanzas by Monday night.

The NYT suggested the shipment could provide temporary relief to Cuba, which has been grappling with depleting fuel reserves amid an ongoing supply crunch...