The three Baltic States disconnected their electricity systems from Russia’s power grid on Saturday, the region’s operators said, part of a plan designed to integrate the countries more closely with the European Union and boost security.

Lithuania said on Saturday it had disconnected its electricity system from Russia's power grid, part of a plan which the three Baltic states say will integrate them more closely with the European Union and boost security.

The so-called Brell power grid - which stands for Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania - is controlled almost entirely by Moscow and has long been seen as a vulnerability for the former Soviet republics, which are now Nato members.

The severing of electricity ties to oil- and gas-rich Russia and switching to European grids is steeped in geopolitical and symbolic significance.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are still connected to Russia's electricity grid, but that's set to change on Saturday. On that day, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are switching off their connection to the Russian electricity grid,

The Baltic states are set to sever ties with Russia's power grid that date back to the 1950s, and instead integrate further with the European Union, as the suspected sabotage of subsea cables has spurred efforts to strengthen regional security.

The Baltic states will sever the last major energy link to Russia and become part of the EU’s electricity network on Sunday, at a time of deepening fears of further sabotage to critical cables. Estonia,

Russia can no longer use energy as a tool of blackmail, as Latvia, Lithuania, and Estonia are set to disconnect their power grids from Moscow this Saturday, stated EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas,