Ukraine decoupled from the Russian grid it had previously been connected to early last Thursday morning and shortly before the commencement of the invasion by Russian forces.

Simson said that the synchronization with the continental European grid could take place as early as next Sunday and will serve to make Ukraine more energy independent from Russia.

"I believe this is the only possible course of action in current circumstances," Simson said via a tweet on Monday, adding that she would be asking EU energy ministers to support the emergency move, at a meeting they were due to hold later that day.

The connection of Ukraine's grid to the European grid had originally been planned for 2023 in any case, but the invasion by Russia has brought this forward.

The measure would still need the support of the European Network of Transmission System Operators for electricity (ENTSO-E), Simson added.

Meeting w/ @ENTSO_E this morning to discuss the synchronisation of Ukrainian power grid with the European grid.

Later today, I will ask #EU energy ministers to support the emergency synchronisation.

I believe this is the only possible course of action in current circumstances. pic.twitter.com/ILshfStqvg

— Kadri Simson (@KadriSimson) February 28, 2022

Head of grid distributor Elering, Taavi Veskimägi, told ERR last week that the move had been planned well in advance, regardless of last Thursday's invasion.

Estonia, Latvia and Lithuiania had already planned to decouple from the Russian grid and synchronize with the continental European grid by the end of 2025, ERR reports, while German firm Siemens Energy is to construct three synchronous condensers in Estonia by 2024. Work is already underway on the first device in Püssi, in Ida-Viru County, with substations at Viru and Kiisa, Harju County, to follow.

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