The Mystery of the IL-96 Circulating Between Venezuela and Cuba Revealed 0 12

The IL-96 aircraft circulating between Venezuela and Cuba transports Cuban military personnel — taking some to the Cuban capital, Havana, and then bringing in new volunteers to replace them. This method of military rotation was revealed by the Cuban publication 14ymedio citing a source.

Cuban authorities have reported that flights between Havana and Caracas are intended solely for the repatriation of doctors and civilian personnel. However, a source close to the Cuban security forces noted that the planes mainly transport military personnel.

According to him, Cuban soldiers in Venezuela are rotated, replacing them with "new recruits hired on a voluntary basis," who receive monetary compensation. "This is a thousand dollars a month in addition to their salary in Cuba," the source clarified.

The newspaper notes that the IL-96 of Cubana de Aviación — the only such aircraft in Cuba's civil air fleet — has already made nine flights to Caracas and back since the U.S. seized Venezuelan President Nicolás Maduro. This same aircraft transported Cuban soldiers injured during the American operation back to Havana. Since then, its movements have increased and almost always occur under strict secrecy.

Moreover, the aircraft usually stands on remote runways and is operated exclusively by military personnel, who "do not allow civilian personnel near it except for those deemed absolutely trustworthy."

At the same time, the FlightWatcher account on the social network X reports that the aircraft with tail number CU-T1250 is currently flying from Havana to Venezuela.

Earlier, Politico reported, citing sources, that Washington is considering new pressure measures on the Cuban authorities, including the introduction of a complete maritime blockade to stop oil imports. This initiative is actively promoted by several critics of the Cuban regime, operating in the circle of American President Donald Trump, and is also supported by U.S. Secretary of State Marco Rubio.