Three Baltic countries are set to disconnect themselves from Russia’s energy grid as they bid to limit Moscow’s interference in the nations.
Tomorrow, Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania will remove themselves from the Brell power grid which has connected them to Russia since the end of the Second World War.
The grid has long been seen as a vulnerability for the former Soviet republics who are now members of Nato and rely on Moscow to continue to allow the energy to travel through.
Lithuania’s Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas told AFP news agency: “We are now removing Russia’s ability to use the electricity system as a tool of geopolitical blackmail.”
In advance of the transition, which will see the countries plug into the European grid via Poland, residents have been told to charge devices and stock up on food and water and prepare as if severe weather was on its way.
The transition will be celebrated with a landmark ceremony in the Lithuanian capital Vilnius attended by European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen.
Neither country has bought Russian electricity since 2022, but all remain reliant on Russia to facilitate the continued provision of energy.
Prof David Smith of the Baltic Research Unit at the University of Glasgow told the BBC: “It’s the culmination of efforts over more than 10 years or 20 years, to reduce that energy dependence.
“When the Baltic States joined the EU and Nato, everybody talked about them being an energy island that was still dependent on that joint electricity network with Belarus and Russia. That’s been completely broken now. »
Tensions have risen between the three countries and Russia, who collectively share a 543-mile-long border, since Vladimir Putin’s invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
In the last two years, there have been a series of suspected sabotage operations on European undersea power cables, something that many analysts have the blame for at the Kremlin’s doors.
Recently, a ship from Russia’s « shadow fleet » of oil tankers was accused of damaging Estonia’s main power link in the Gulf of Finland, although Moscow has not taken responsibility for the damage.
But the activity has led to heightened fears that the Russians might retaliate against the decision to disconnect from their power grid.
Latvian Prime Minister Evika Silina said: “Clearly there are risks, we understand that very well, but the risks are identified and there is a contingency plan. »
The head of Estonia’s Cybersecurity Centre, Gert Auvaart, told the BBC in a statement that Russia « may attempt to exploit this period to create uncertainty », but said that due to international co-operation, Estonia was « well-prepared even for worst-case scenarios ».
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