The U.S.-sanctioned Ilyushin Il-76 operated by Aviacon Zitotrans landed at San Antonio de los Baños Airfield, about 30 miles south of Havana, after stops in St. Petersburg, Sochi, Mauritania and the Dominican Republic. The same aircraft flew to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba in late October 2025 — movements U.S. officials now cite as an early warning sign before U.S. military action that ended Nicolás Maduro’s rule. President Trump has declared a national emergency on Cuba, confirmed direct talks with Havana and warned of penalties for unauthorized oil supplies. It remains unclear what cargo, if any, the Il-76 carried on this trip.
Sanctioned Russian Il-76 Lands In Cuba, Echoing Flights Seen Before Maduro’s Ouster
A Russian military Ilyushin Il-76 landed in Cuba Sunday night.(Getty Images)
A U.S.-sanctioned Russian Ilyushin Il-76, operated by state-linked carrier Aviacon Zitotrans, touched down late Sunday at San Antonio de los Baños Airfield, a Cuban military facility roughly 30 miles south of Havana, according to public flight-tracking data.
Flight Path And Stops
Tracking records show the aircraft made recent stops in St. Petersburg and Sochi in Russia, as well as Mauritania and the Dominican Republic. Each landing would have required host-nation approval, offering insight into which countries continue to permit Russian military-linked aviation activity despite Western sanctions.
Cuba's President Miguel Diaz-Canel finds himself in President Trump's crosshairs.
Historical Context And Regional Concerns
Data indicate the same Il-76 flew missions to Venezuela, Nicaragua and Cuba in late October 2025 during a period of elevated tensions between Washington and Caracas. U.S. officials and analysts have cited that pattern of movements as an early warning sign prior to U.S. military action that later ended Nicolás Maduro’s rule in Venezuela.
"Aviacon Zitotrans has shipped military equipment such as rockets, warheads, and helicopter parts all over the world," the U.S. Treasury said when it sanctioned the airline in January 2023.
U.S. Response And Diplomatic Pressure
The arrival coincides with heightened U.S. pressure on Havana. On Thursday, President Donald Trump declared a national emergency over Cuba, calling the Cuban government an "unusual and extraordinary threat" to U.S. national security and foreign policy. The administration also warned it would penalize countries that supply oil to Cuba without U.S. authorization. Trump confirmed on Sunday that the U.S. is holding direct talks with Cuban officials.
The same Russian aircraft flew into Caracas before Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro was captured by U.S. forces.
Speaking at Mar-a-Lago, Trump said: "Cuba is a failing nation. It has been for a long time, but now it doesn’t have Venezuela to prop it up."
Capabilities And Uncertainties
The Il-76 is a heavy transport aircraft capable of carrying roughly 50 tons of cargo or up to 200 personnel, a capacity that draws scrutiny given Aviacon Zitotrans’s sanction history. While earlier reporting and statements by Russian state media and a Russian lawmaker said this particular aircraft delivered Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2E air defense systems to Caracas during previous missions, officials have not confirmed the nature of the cargo on the most recent flight.
Renewed Russian military cooperation with Cuba has long alarmed U.S. officials, who warn that expanded Russian activity on the island could pose security risks closer to the U.S. mainland. At present, details about the aircraft’s mission and any offloaded cargo remain unverified, and analysts say such flight patterns will be monitored closely as a potential indicator of regional developments.
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