BRUSSELS — European countries along the Russian border are racing to defend their energy networks from military attacks after Moscow’s monthslong bombardment of Ukraine’s power grid revealed the lethal consequences of leaving essential infrastructure exposed.
Estonia, Latvia, Lithuania and Poland have all been granted new European Union money to pay for the security measures.
Some 113 million euros will go to an array of new defenses, including physical barriers and jamming technology to prevent drone attacks, digital defenses to protect against cyber attacks, troops to defend critical installations, and rapid repair response teams. It’s the first time the European Commission has distributed EU money for this purpose.
EU countries have long worried about security of energy supply, but the focus on physically defending electricity infrastructure is new and reflects growing recognition that war is a real threat.
