Cuba began restoring power gradually on Wednesday following its third nationwide blackout in less than 10 days, according to the state electricity company UNE. The outage, which occurred around 11:05 a.m. on Tuesday, left the island’s 9.6 million residents without electricity and marked the fifth total blackout since the start of 2026.

UNE attributed the outage to a technical fault involving a generating unit at a thermo-electric plant, which caused a “sudden frequency change” that disrupted the national grid. Restoration efforts resumed late Tuesday, but by early Wednesday, only about 24 percent of households in Havana had power. The company said the restoration process is proceeding cautiously in line with the grid’s capacity.

This latest blackout exacerbates ongoing challenges facing Cuba’s energy system, which has been severely strained by fuel shortages and outdated infrastructure. The island was already grappling with frequent outages before the sharply reduced oil supplies triggered by U.S. sanctions implemented by the Trump administration in January. These measures have cut off Cuba’s access to vital fuel imports, further depleting reserves for power generation and limiting the use of emergency generators.

Energy and Mines Minister Vicente de la O Levy acknowledged the gravity of the situation, describing conditions as “practically living through a war” due to a “total absence of fuel” and difficulties securing spare parts for power plants. He pointed to the impact of U.S. policy decisions on the electrical system’s vulnerability.

Since January, tensions between Washington and Havana have intensified amid broader regional developments, including the U.S. capture of Venezuelan leader Nicolas Maduro, a long-standing Cuban ally. Although one Russian oil shipment arrived in March, carrying 100,000 tons of crude, those supplies have since been exhausted. Meanwhile, increased sanctions against Cuban state-owned enterprises have led many foreign businesses to suspend operations in the country, worsening economic conditions.

Residents expressed frustration and hardship amid the power disruptions. In Havana and other areas, outages during the past week lasted from over 30 hours in the capital to several days in outlying provinces. Protest gestures have included setting piles of trash on fire and banging pots and pans. Local residents described the ongoing crisis as draining enthusiasm and raising concerns about food spoilage due to prolonged refrigerator outages.

As Cuba enacts gradual power restorations, the combination of systemic energy infrastructure challenges and external pressures continues to deepen the island’s economic crisis.