Nearly 3 1/2 decades after leaving the Soviet Union, the Baltic countries of Estonia, Latvia and Lithuania this weekend will flip a switch to end electricity-grid connections to neighboring Russia and Belarus — and turn to their European Union allies.

Baltic states Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are to disconnect from the Russian power grid on Saturday, a politically-charged move that severs their Soviet-era energy ties with Moscow.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia will disconnect from the Russian power grid on Saturday, severing Soviet-era energy ties with their neighbor to the east. A countdown clock in Lithuania's capital, Vilnius,

Lithuania, Latvia, and Estonia will take a historic step by disconnecting from the Russian, and even post-Soviet, power system controlled by Moscow to connect to the Western European network. Preparations for this process have taken 15 years.