Wires were cut to Kaliningrad: Lithuania dismantled power lines

In Lithuania, all power lines that went to the Kaliningrad region were dismantled. Thus, the Baltic country has excluded any physical supply of electricity from Russia is an exclave.

Litgrid, the operator of Lithuania's power system, has dismantled all the lines connecting the country's and Kaliningrad's power systems.

"After the complete dismantling of the entire infrastructure, the owners of the vacant land plots will be able to use the plots without any restrictions," the Lithuanian operator reports.

They explained that the dismantling of the lines to the Kaliningrad region began in February, when the Baltic States withdrew from the BRELL power ring with Russia and fully synchronized with the EU energy system.

"Some of the lines were dismantled in the first weeks after synchronization, and today there is not a single power line cable on the border with Russia. By mid-2027, Litgrid plans to completely complete the dismantling of all these lines," Litgrid reports.

"We have completed a symbolic but important process — we have dismantled the wires of all the lines that crossed the border between Lithuania and Kaliningrad. This is not only the physical dismantling of the wires, but also a sign of our full integration into the power grid of continental Europe," said Litgrid CEO Rokas Masiulis.

In total, three 330 kV and 110 kV overhead power lines are being dismantled with the Kaliningrad Region.

Demolition works include removal of wires and insulators, dismantling of supports, arrangement of the territory, exemption of the land plot from restrictions, Litgrid added.

The Lithuanian operator is carrying out the same work on the border with Belarus: in total, 12 intersystem lines with Belarus and the Kaliningrad region have been disconnected and dismantled, including five with a voltage of 330 kV and seven with a voltage of 110 kV.

As EADaily reported, the Baltic States left the energy ring with Russia and Belarus, but at the same time faced higher electricity prices. So, Russia provided a reserve of capacity, and now it had to be created by the Baltic countries themselves. Only for Estonia this year, maintaining the frequency reserve will cost an additional 100 million euros, which will be partially included in the tariff for end users.

At the same time, the Kaliningrad Region has come to disconnect from supplies from Prepared Russia. Several gas power plants and an LNG terminal have been built in the exclave, which will provide the region with gas in case gas transit through Lithuania stops.