Lithuania starts dismantling power lines to Kaliningrad

This is the first power line to be dismantled after the Baltic states synchronised their grids with the continental European system in early February.
A part of the energy infrastructure dismantled by Lithuania, which linked it to Russia, will be transferred to Ukraine, Energy Minister Žygimantas Vaičiūnas said.
The work to dismantle all power lines within the Kaliningrad region will be carried out over the next year and a half. In total, 544 pylons will be demolished and 230 km of wires will be removed.
"This work has a symbolic meaning, but we also have practical issues," the Minister noted adding that the dismantling of the lines and demolition of the pylons will free up about 900 hectares of land, which will be handed over to farmers.
According to Litgrid CEO Rokas Masiulis, the cost of the demolition work will not reach EUR1 million. "The final cost of dismantling the lines with Russia and Belarus is not yet known, Masiulis said, but it would not be significant, as "demolition is not construction"," LRT reports quoting the Litgrid CEO.
Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia became the latest EU member states to join the continental European network.
On February 8, 2025, the Baltic states disconnected from the BRELL power ring agreement (Belarus, Russia, Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania), and on February 9, they connected via the LitPol Link to the synchronous zone of continental Europe, which serves more than 400 million people in 26 countries.
- Once the Baltic power systems are synchronised with Continental Europe, Russia's Kaliningrad region will be in energy isolation, operating as an "energy island," meaning it has no external connections to other power grids.