VILNIUS, Feb 9 (Reuters) - Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania announced on Sunday the successful synchronization of their electricity systems with the European continental power grid, marking the end of decades-long energy connections to Russia and Belarus.
This long-planned move, separating from their former Soviet ties, aims to further integrate the three Baltic nations with the European Union and enhance the region's energy security.
"Mission accomplished!," proclaimed Latvian President Edgars Rinkevics in a social media post.
Following the disconnection from the IPS/UPS network, originally set up by the Soviet Union in the 1950s and currently operated by Russia, the Baltic countries severed cross-border high-voltage transmission lines in eastern Latvia, near the Russian border. These symbolic actions included distributing pieces of clipped wires to enthusiastic onlookers as souvenirs.
EU Foreign Policy Chief Kaja Kallas, an Estonian herself, lauded the transition as "a victory for freedom and European unity" earlier in the week.
The Baltic Sea region has faced challenges, from power cable disruptions to gas pipeline outages between the Baltics and Sweden or Finland. These incidents were thought to be attributed to ships inadvertently damaging undersea infrastructure following Russia's conflict with Ukraine, a claim Russia has refuted.
In response to a December incident that damaged an undersea power link between Finland and Estonia, Poland and the Baltics mobilized navy vessels, elite police units, and helicopters. Meanwhile, Lithuania conducted military exercises to safeguard its terrestrial connection to Poland.
Experts warn that further disruptions to these vital links could lead to a spike in power prices in the Baltic region, reminiscent of the aftermath of the Ukrainian conflict energy price surge.
The dismantling of the IPS/UPS grid signifies the final link to Russia for the three Baltic countries, which regained their independence in the early 1990s with the dissolution of the Soviet Union and subsequently joined the European Union and NATO in 2004.
Despite ceasing power imports from Russia after the 2022 invasion of Ukraine, the Baltic nations had previously relied on the Russian grid for frequency control and network stability to prevent blackouts.