The Prime Minister of Estonia Wants to Shut Down the Gas Pipeline Running Through Latvia

The discussion concerns two pipes with a diameter of 70 cm that run through southeastern Estonia into Latvia and then through Lithuania to the Kaliningrad region. The length of the Estonian section is 22 km. It belongs to the company Elering, which manages the country's electricity grids and gas pipelines. Russia may use this route to supply gas to the Kaliningrad region if the main gas pipeline through Lithuania fails or if the floating terminal for receiving liquefied gas in Kaliningrad is out of service, the publication clarifies. According to Eesti Ekspress, Mihal will instruct the Minister of Energy and Environment, Erki Keldo, to discuss the closure of the route with Latvia. The valve that can shut off the gas pipeline is located on Latvian territory. If an agreement cannot be reached with Latvia, Estonia may prohibit the transit of Russian gas through its territory using national sanctions, the Prime Minister stated. Currently, Russian gas is not being supplied through this route to the Kaliningrad region; however, Russia can still reserve capacity in the pipeline. As noted by the publication, in July 2023, approximately 0.5 TWh of Russian gas passed through the Estonian section. This is about 15% of Estonia's annual consumption. The same amount of gas passed through the route in the fall of 2024. In 2025, Russia and Lithuania signed a five-year contract for the transit of natural gas to the Kaliningrad region. The cost of transporting gas in 2026 was estimated at 30 million euros. In addition to the pipeline through Lithuania, the region has a marine terminal for receiving liquefied natural gas. It has been operational since 2019 and allows for gas delivery by sea.