A new era starts in the Baltic countries on February 8. On that day, Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are switching off their connection to the Russian electricity grid, 10 months ahead of schedule.

The move is merely symbolic, as the three nations have not bought Russian or Belarusian electricity since May 2022. Users shouldn't notice any difference or experience disruptions.

To strengthen their electricity systems, the Baltic countries have slowly been connecting to the shared synchronous grid of Continental Europe, the world's second-largest synchronized grid after China.

They will be the last EU countries to join the system, which also includes Turkey, Ukraine and Moldova.

For more than five decades, the Baltic states were satellite states of the former Soviet Union. A historical anomaly from these times is a shared electricity grid called BRELL. The power transmission network connects the electricity systems of Russia — including its Kaliningrad exclave — Belarus and the three Baltic countries. The name "BRELL" comes from the initials of these countries.

The Soviet Union recognized Baltic independence in 1991. For the Baltic states, an openness to Europe and the EU was a strategic goal. Still, disconnecting from an integrated power network takes........

© Deutsche Welle