Estonia plans to guard energy sites during break from Russian grid

Estonia plans to deploy members of the local Kaitseliit volunteer defense force alongside police and border guard officials to protect energy infrastructure during the national power grid’s desynchronization from Russia, Interior Minister Lauri Läänemets told ERR.

The Baltic States will disconnect their power grid from Russia during the second weekend of February, transitioning to the European power grid. The Estonian Defense League or Kaitseliit is a voluntary paramilitary national defense organization of the Republic of Estonia.

Läänemets noted:

“This operation, which the Police and Border Guard Board will conduct during the desynchronization period, also requires Kaitseliit participation,” he said, adding that the plan involves deploying fewer than 100 Kaitseliit members.

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Läänemets says that Estonia’s power grid would be most vulnerable during the desynchronization.

“Although we have made many different preparatory activities, you never know. The Interior Ministry’s logic is that it’s better to be more prepared, then nothing will definitely happen,” he told ERR, hinting on possible Russian sabotage efforts.

The plan still requires approval from both the government and the president, the Minister added.

“Last week, I designated temporary national defense objects, energy infrastructure objects,” Läänemets said. “The most important ones have now been changed to temporary national defense objects, and we have planned manned security for certain objects during the desynchronization period.”

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