The three Baltic states—Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania—successfully disconnected from Russia's IPS/UPS power grid, marking a significant shift towards integrating with the European Union's energy system. This move, anticipated for years, was prompted by security threats linked to Russia's actions, especially following the 2014 annexation of Crimea. With plans to synchronize with the EU grid underway, Latvian and Lithuanian officials expressed that this decoupling liberates the region from reliance on Russian energy, reducing potential threats amidst increasing geopolitical tensions. The transition is celebrated as a pivotal moment in the Baltics' energy independence journey.
Immediately after disconnecting, Latvian workers used a crane to reach the high-voltage wires in Vilaka, close to the Russian border, and cut them.
Plans for the Baltics to decouple from the grid of their former Soviet imperial overlord...gained momentum after Moscow's annexation of Crimea in 2014.
By ending the energy dependence of the Baltic states on Russia, we are leaving the aggressor without the option of using energy as a weapon against us.
We've reached the goal we strived for, for so long. We are now in control, the Lithuanian energy minister, Zygimantas Vaiciunas, told a press conference.
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