Cuba has been hit by worsening nationwide blackouts after the government said its fuel reserves had run dry, triggering fresh protests in parts of the capital, Havana.

According to Channels Television, the crisis intensified on Thursday after authorities confirmed that oil shipments from Russia had been exhausted, leaving the island struggling to keep its electricity grid running.

Eastern regions of Cuba were plunged into another prolonged power outage, while dozens of residents gathered in San Miguel del Padrón, on the outskirts of Havana, to protest repeated electricity cuts and worsening living conditions.

Energy Minister Vicente de la O Levy told state television that Russian oil reserves had been depleted. He said the US embargo was worsening the country’s access to fuel imports, adding that Cuba was still unable to secure enough supplies to stabilise electricity generation.

The blackout crisis has become one of the most visible signs of Cuba’s economic struggles. The island has faced rolling outages for months, with many households relying on firewood for cooking as electricity failures stretch for hours each day.

Washington has continued to blame Cuba’s internal economic management for the collapse, while Havana insists long-standing US sanctions are a major cause of the shortages. The US recently announced an additional $100 million aid package for the country, even as diplomatic tensions remain strained.

The latest protests are notable because public demonstrations are relatively rare in Cuba, where the communist government maintains tight controls over political dissent. Recent outages have added to frustration over inflation, food shortages and transport disruptions.