Estonia plans to guard energy sites during break from Russian grid
Tallinn will deploy police and defense volunteers to secure energy infrastructure during the Baltic States' planned Russian power grid disconnection in February.
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.
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.
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.”
Related:
- Estonian capital allocates € 200,000 for Ukrainian cities development
- Russian online recruitment of intel gatherers across Europe revealed by investigation
- Lithuania promises to disconnect Baltic States from Russian power grid by 8 February, switching to EU supplies
- Finland says Russian shadow fleet tanker crew planned more cable sabotage before arrest
- Proposed law may terminate Russian Orthodox Church operations in Estonia
- “Not if, but when”: NATO prepares for Russian attack on Finland, Baltics and Norway
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