A U.S.-sanctioned Russian military-linked cargo jet landed at a Cuban military airfield near Havana. This immediately raised alarms because this flight pattern precisely mirrors activity seen right before the capture of Nicolás Maduro in Venezuela. This comes close to President Trump wanting regime change.
This isn’t just a regular delivery, you’ve got to admit. The aircraft, an Ilyushin Il-76, is operated by Aviacon Zitotrans, a Russian state-linked airline that the U.S. has sanctioned. Flight data confirms the plane touched down at San Antonio de los Baños Airfield. Per Fox, this is a key Cuban military installation located about 30 miles south of Havana.
The Il-76 is a serious piece of hardware. It’s a heavy transport aircraft capable of lugging around 50 tons of cargo or transporting up to 200 personnel. Given the history of its operator, the capacity alone is cause for scrutiny. The U.S. Treasury Department actually sanctioned Aviacon Zitotrans back in January 2023, stating that the company has shipped military gear like rockets, warheads, and even helicopter parts globally to support Russia’s defense sector.
Russia may be prepping Cuba for something big
We don’t know exactly what cargo was onboard for this latest trip, but the route itself is interesting. Tracking records show the plane stopped in St. Petersburg and Sochi in Russia, then Mauritania in Africa, and finally the Dominican Republic before reaching Cuba. Each of those stops required approval from the host governments, giving us a clear picture of which nations are still willing to permit Russian military-linked aviation despite Western sanctions.
That history is what makes this new flight so concerning. Back in late October 2025, the very same aircraft conducted flights to Venezuela, Nicaragua, and Cuba. That movement happened just before U.S. military action in Venezuela ultimately ended Maduro’s rule. U.S. officials and analysts have since pointed to that sequence as a major warning indicator, and seeing it repeated now is definitely unsettling. In the Venezuela operation, Russian state media actually claimed the aircraft delivered Pantsir-S1 and Buk-M2E air defense systems to Caracas.
Taking the long way from Moscow. Previously observed by @borrowed7 as stopping in Casablanca before heading on to Cuba. RSD632, RA-96023, #157717, Ilyushin IL-96. Snapshot here at 0415z Thursday. @TheIntelFrog @thenewarea51 @RichStancliff @MakanoTakeko @sentdefender pic.twitter.com/AsjGOVj8K3
— Peter Vogel (@PeterVogel) January 29, 2026
This suspicious activity arrives while Cuban President Miguel Díaz-Canel is feeling intense pressure from Washington. President Trump has sharply intensified U.S. policy toward Havana in recent weeks, and it’s clear the administration wants major political changes on the island. Cuba may face what Maduro had to deal with if things don’t change.
Just last Thursday, President Trump declared a national emergency related to Cuba, asserting that the Cuban government poses an “unusual and extraordinary threat” to U.S. national security and foreign policy interests. The administration is also threatening penalties on any country that sells or supplies oil to Cuba unless they get U.S. authorization first.
President Trump confirmed on Sunday that the U.S. is engaged in direct talks with Cuban officials. He spoke to reporters at Mar-a-Lago, Florida, making his intentions clear.
“Cuba is a failing nation. It has been for a long time, but now it doesn’t have Venezuela to prop it up,” President Trump said. “So we’re talking to the people from Cuba, the highest people in Cuba, to see what happens. I think we’re going to make a deal with Cuba.”
Both President Trump and Secretary of State Marco Rubio have indicated they support political change in Havana. While they haven’t specifically mentioned military action, the goal is definitely regime change.
