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. The Baltics have long prepared to integrate with the European grid but faced technological and financial issues.

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.

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.

More than 30 years after leaving the Soviet Union, Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania will join the EU's grid.

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,

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

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