John Hogg / World Bank
Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania extinguish an inheritance of the Soviet era as they successfully bind to the European power grid after cutting calls to Russia.
Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda announced on Sunday that the Baltic States of Estonia, Lethania and Lithuania were “successfully” to the European power grid after cutting calls to Russia, classifying synchronization as “Great news”.
The three countries had already foreseen the abandonment of the Russian power grid to join the European system, a process started years ago and accelerated after the Ukraine invasion by Moscow.
“We are ready,” said Lithuanian Prime Minister Gintautas Paluckas, on social networks, praising “the beginning of a new era of independence [energética]”.
The process took several years due to numerous technological and financial problems and the need to diversify the supply, namely through submarine cables.
However, the Russian Enclave Electric System of Kaliningrad became this autonomous Saturday after Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia were turned off from the Brell Electric Circuit with Russia and Belarus, 10 months ahead of expected.
The enclave receives electricity from three local thermal power plants, which “have the energy reserves necessary for the uninterrupted supply of electricity,” said the governor of the region.
The change became urgent after in 2022, which aroused in the Baltic countries the fear that Moscow visited them as well. Since then, The three countries stopped buying Russian gas and electricityalthough the electrical networks were still linked to Russia and Belarus, with regulation of the frequency controlled by Moscow.
That’s why, remained dependents of Russia for a stable flow of electricitycrucial to appliances that needed a reliable energy supply, in particular in industrial processes.
The three countries will be integrated into the European network through Poland. The Lithuanian and Polacs authorities began the synchronization process around noon this Sunday.
Since in practice the three have not bought Russian or Belarusian electricity since May 2022, consumers should not notice differences or interruptions, but the authorities have warned to possible problems.
“Several short -term risks, such as operations (…) against critical infrastructures, cybers and misinformation campaigns,” carried out by Russia, the Lithuanian security department said. The Placo Electricity Operator PSE announced the sending of helicopters and drones to control the connection with Lithuania.
The president of the Latvia, Edgars Rinkevics, told LTV1 public broadcaster that, although the three countries were “fully prepared”, they cannot “exclude possible provocations“.
In Estonia, police and volunteers will be parked in essential electrical infrastructure until next weekend, due to the risk of sabotage.
In recent months ,. Experts and politicians accused Russia of hanging a hybrid war, which Moscow denies.
