Lithuania to Fortify New Substation Near Kaliningrad Against Drone Threats

Lithuania is preparing to build a heavily protected power substation near its border with Russia's Kaliningrad exclave, incorporating defences against military drones and other hybrid threats, as part of a critical electricity link with Poland.

The Gizai substation, located about 30 km west of Kaliningrad, will be the first new installation of its kind in the region since Russia's full-scale invasion of Ukraine in 2022. It will serve as the central node of the Harmony Link interconnection, which is intended to complete the integration of the Baltic states' power grids with the rest of the European Union after they disconnected from the Russian system last year.

According to Litgrid CEO Andrius Semeskevicius, the design reflects a shift in planning assumptions. "Previously, when designing our grid, we planned for natural disasters. Now, we think about all possible hybrid and non-hybrid threats," he said. The site will span 35 hectares, a layout intended to limit damage from a single drone strike. Defences include fencing capable of withstanding an explosives-laden truck, sensors to detect tunnels dug by hostile actors, and reinforced-concrete enclosures—described as sarcophagi—around transformers to protect against drone attacks. The concrete will be custom-made with plastic fibres for added strength, and equipment inside will require artificial cooling, adding to costs. Duplicate units of key equipment will allow continued operation if one is damaged.

"We are designing Gizai for a new reality... we are protecting ourselves from multiple Shahed drones, which could crash-land with 100 kilograms of explosives," Semeskevicius said. He noted that buildings will be set back from the fence to guard against incendiary devices such as Molotov cocktails. Lithuania's military is advising Litgrid on securing critical energy infrastructure.

The security upgrades have raised the substation's cost by at least €48 million above earlier estimates, and the figure could rise further if geopolitical conditions worsen. Later this month, Lithuania will ask the EU to cover at least half of the Gizai costs, Energy Minister Lukas Savickas said. "Our consistent position is... these costs should not fall solely on our shoulders," he stated. A senior Polish official echoed the call, warning that border countries could lose competitiveness if they bear the full burden of extra security. Wojciech Wrochna, Poland's deputy energy minister for strategic energy infrastructure, said Harmony Link must not become "the most costly interconnection in Europe" and urged the EU to increase financing for grid security. "Our European partners need to change their mindset," he said. "The issue extends beyond Harmony Link. It affects the entire energy system."

Last year, the Baltic states and Poland requested €382 million from the EU to secure key parts of the existing grid, but only €112 million was granted. The European Commission did not respond to a request for comment.

The Gizai project is situated in the Suwalki Gap, a narrow stretch of territory between Russia and Belarus that has long been a source of security concern for NATO. Apprehension in the region has grown this month after a series of sabotage attacks on Germany's electricity grid, which Berlin blamed on Moscow. Russia denied involvement. Intelligence sources have said the region is worried about a possible false-flag drone attack by Russia aimed at testing NATO unity.