Although Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia have not purchased electricity from Russia and Belarus for years, they were still part of Russia’s IPS/UPS system, where frequency regulation was centralized in Moscow.

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 Baltic states of Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia are bracing themselves for possible retaliation as they decouple from Russia’s power grid this weekend.

REZEKNE, Latvia - 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.

The Baltic states on Saturday began cutting ties with Russia's power grid in order to integrate with Europe's system, a years-long process that gained urgency with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine.

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.

Nearly 3 1/2 decades after leaving the Soviet Union, the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this weekend will flip a switch to end electricity-grid connections to neighboring Russia and

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.