Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—have officially disconnected from Russia’s power grid as part of an energy security plan aimed at integrating their systems with the European Union's network.

This significant step was taken early on Saturday morning, with grid operators in all three countries announcing they had uncoupled from the BRELL network, which also includes Russia and Belarus.

Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas praised the move, calling it a decisive action to prevent Russia from using the electricity system as a geopolitical tool. “We are now removing Russia’s ability to use the electricity system as a tool of geopolitical blackmail,” he said.

The Baltic states will operate in an "isolated mode" for about 24 hours before they fully synchronize with the EU grid via Poland on Sunday. According to Rokas Masiulis, head of Lithuania’s Litgrid, the country’s state-run grid operator, this short-term isolation is necessary for testing, ensuring stability, and confirming to Europe that their energy systems are secure and reliable.

This move is part of a long-planned effort to decouple from Russia’s energy influence, a project that gained urgency following Russia's annexation of Crimea in 2014 and was accelerated by the invasion of Ukraine in 2022. The Baltic countries had already taken steps to stop purchasing Russian energy but were still linked to Russia and Belarus through the BRELL network, controlled from Moscow.

In recent months, the region has faced mounting concerns over potential sabotage of critical infrastructure in the Baltic Sea, further heightening the urgency for energy independence.

The move also marks the culmination of efforts by the Baltic states, which have worked to integrate their power grids with the EU since they joined NATO and the EU in 2004. The transition to the EU grid will help ensure that the former Soviet states no longer operate as an “energy island” within Europe.

This energy shift is a key part of the Baltic states’ broader strategy to reduce their reliance on Russian energy supplies and to strengthen their energy security in light of growing geopolitical tensions. (ILKHA)