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 three Baltic states on Saturday seamlessly cut ties with Russia's power grid to integrate with the European Union's network, a switch that gained urgency with Moscow's invasion of Ukraine. - Mostly EU-funded - After the Baltic states completed the disconnection process on Saturday morning,

The Baltic states of Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania are now unplugged from Russia's electricity grid and have joined the European Union's network. Plans for the move - which have been in the works since 2007 - were seen as essential for European security and had been brought brought forward after Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022.