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Baltic states to cut energy ties with Russia, join European power grid, AFP reports

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Baltic states to cut energy ties with Russia, join European power grid, AFP reports
The NATO and Lithuanian flags fly over the summit venue on July 09, 2023 in Vilnius, Lithuania. Vilnius is scheduled to host the July 11-12 2023 NATO Summit. (Sean Gallup/Getty Images)

Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia will disconnect from Russia’s power grid this weekend and synchronize with the Western European network. Latvia will physically cut a power line to Russia on Feb. 8, and European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen will attend a ceremony with Baltic leaders in Vilnius the next day.

Lithuanian Energy Minister Zygimantas Vaiciunas said the move ends Russia’s ability to use energy as political leverage, according to AFP.

The Baltic states have been preparing for this transition for years. Despite stopping Russian gas and electricity imports after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, their power grids remained linked to Russia and Belarus, with Moscow controlling electricity flows.

At 7 a.m. local time on Feb. 8, the three countries will operate in "isolated mode" for 24 hours to test their ability to manage power levels. They will then integrate with Europe’s grid through Poland. Lithuania’s state-run grid operator, Litgrid, said the process includes switching power stations on and off to assess frequency stability.

Lithuania has warned of potential risks, including cyberattacks and sabotage. Poland’s power grid operator, PSE, will monitor the connection with helicopters and drones. Several undersea cables in the Baltic Sea have been damaged in recent months, raising security concerns. Russia has denied involvement.

Officials say no major power disruptions are expected, but Estonian retailers report a rise in generator sales. The Baltic states are also increasing domestic energy production, including offshore wind farms.

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Olena Goncharova

Head of North America desk

Olena Goncharova is the Head of North America desk at The Kyiv Independent, where she has previously worked as a development manager and Canadian correspondent. She first joined the Kyiv Post, Ukraine's oldest English-language newspaper, as a staff writer in January 2012 and became the newspaper’s Canadian correspondent in June 2018. She is based in Edmonton, Alberta. Olena has a master’s degree in publishing and editing from the Institute of Journalism in Taras Shevchenko National University in Kyiv. Olena was a 2016 Alfred Friendly Press Partners fellow who worked for the Pittsburgh Post-Gazette for six months. The program is administered by the University of Missouri School of Journalism in Columbia.

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