Baltic nations switch off Russian power grid, Moscow plays down impact

Three Baltic states began to cut ties with Russia's power grid on Saturday, designed to integrate the countries more closely with the European Union and boost security.

The two-day process began on Saturday morning, with residents warned to charge devices, stock up on food and water and be alert for severe weather. Some areas are having to deal with traffic lights being turned off.

There will be a ceremony in Vilnius, Lithuania's capital, on Sunday, attended by EU chief Ursula von der Leyen, to mark the countdown to the transition away from the grid.

"We have been waiting for this moment for a long time," Lithuania's Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said on Saturday, speaking with his Estonian and Latvian counterparts. 

"The energy system of the Baltic states is finally in our own hands. We are in control. We have removed any theoretical possibility of Russia using energy (grid) control as a weapon."

EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas - Estonia's former prime minister - described the grid switch as "a victory for freedom and European unity."

After the Baltic decoupling, the energy system in the Russian enclave of Kaliningrad will lose its grid connection to mainland Russia. 

With Kaliningrad building up years' worth of power generation capacity in advance, Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov dismissed any concerns over the cut-off.

"We have taken all measures to ensure the uninterrupted reliable operation of our unified energy system," Peskov said.

The Baltics have long prepared to integrate with the European grid but faced technological and financial issues. The switch became more important with national security high on the agenda following the start of the conflict between Russia and Ukraine in 2022.  

The three countries stopped purchasing Russian gas and electricity after the conflict began but their power grids remained connected to Russia and Belarus, controlled from Moscow. This left them dependent on Russia for a stable electricity flow, which is crucial for factories and facilities requiring a reliable power supply.

Security control 

The Baltic states will operate in "isolated mode" for about 24 hours to test their frequency, or power levels, according to Lithuania's state-run grid operator Litgrid. 

The countries will then integrate into the European power grid via Poland, and intend to remain vigilant over potential risks linked to the change.

Lithuania's state security department stated short-term issues were possible, such as "kinetic operations against critical infrastructure" or "cyber-attacks and disinformation campaigns."

Poland's power grid operator PSE had said it would use helicopters and drones to patrol the connection with Lithuania. Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics said "possible provocations" could not be ruled out.

In Estonia, police and volunteer defense corps will man critical electrical infrastructure until next weekend because of the risk of sabotage.

Smooth transition

A total of $1.7 billion - mostly EU funds - has been invested in the synchronization project across the Baltic states and Poland.

Lithuanian President Gitanas Nauseda was confident of a successful switch, saying: "People won't feel it, either in terms of their bills or any inconvenience."

Estonia's climate ministry urged everyone to carry on as usual as "the more regular and predictable the behavior, the easier it is to manage the power grid."

Some consumers remain worried about power cuts, though, with home improvement stores in Estonia reporting a sharp increase in sales of generators.