Lithuania, Bilinia (AP) – Power flows between Baltic countries in Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Russia after civil servants turned off the grid's transmission lines from the Soviet era and were ready to join other Europe on Sunday was officially cut off on Saturday morning.
This ended the final bond of Balticus with oil and gas-rich Russia, more than 30 years after the collapse of the Soviet Union. Like other parts of Europe, for the three countries, the move was immersed in geopolitical and symbolic importance.
“The Baltic energy system is finally in our hands. We are in full control,” Lithuanian Energy Minister Zigigmantas Vaicinas told reporters.
On Saturday, all remaining power lines between them and Russia, the exclusives of Belarus and Russia's Kalininrad, were caught between Poland, Lithuania and the sea, and were turned off one by one. First of Lithuania – A specially made, 9 metres (about 29 feet) tall clock in downtown Vilnius counted down the last few seconds, followed by Latvia and Estonia after a few minutes.
For 24 hours after separation from the Soviet-era grid, the Baltic power system operates independently. If everything goes as planned, the power system will fuse with European energy networks on Sunday afternoons through several links with Finland, Sweden and Poland.
European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen and the president of Poland and the Baltic countries are expected to hold a ceremony in Vilnius on Sunday evening, along with other high-ranking officials.
All NATO members, the Baltic countries have had chilly ties with Russia since declaring their independence from the Soviet Union in 1990, making it even more sour about Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.
The 16 power lines used to connect the Baltic Sea with Russia and Belarus have been demolished in recent years as new grids have been created that link to the rest of the EU, including the underwater cables of the Baltic Sea.
“This is a physical disconnect from the last remaining elements of Russia and Belarus' dependence on the energy system,” Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda told the Associated Press in a recent interview.
Russia-Belarus' border Three Baltic countries, which have a 1,633 km (1,015 miles) border, notified Moscow and Minsk in 2024 to avoid hostile reactions to Moscow and Minsk.
“We have protocols with the Russians about how everything should be cut,” Litgrid CEO Rokas Masiulis told reporters on Saturday.
Leaders from all three countries assured the nation that the shift would go smoothly, but special measures were taken to prevent the possibility of provocation.
In Latvia, the National Army and the National Guard were instructed to carry out their duties in strengthened mode. No incidents were reported early on Saturday.
According to Litgrid, the Kaliningrad region, which has no land ties with the Russian mainland, already relies on its own power generation.
