Europe is taking the risk of a major blackout seriously. Tensions with Russia are rising. France plans a crisis simulation in 2027. In Lithuania, a key substation near the Polish border has become a fortress with concrete barriers and barbed wire. The installation is vital to Lithuania’s break from Moscow. The country, along with Latvia and Estonia, left the Russian grid in February 2025. They joined the European network in a €1.65 billion project.
Lithuania’s proximity to the front line keeps it on alert. But the threat affects all of Europe. Suspicious incidents are increasing. Energy is already central to the Ukraine war. Ukraine has lost about 50 percent of its electricity production.
In April 2025, a massive blackout hit the Iberian Peninsula. Millions lost phones, internet, and payment systems for nearly 24 hours. Serious incidents have also occurred outside Russian borders. In 2024, a Russian oil ship cut the cable between Finland and Estonia. Poland narrowly avoided a blackout by stopping a major cyberattack. Russian-linked hackers were blamed.
France’s cyber agency calls the threat “particularly intense.” Its director said the worst-case scenario is not inevitable, but they must prepare. The EU relies more on electricity to cut gas and oil use. Its share is expected to double by 2040. The system is more exposed as it becomes more connected and decentralized.
European coordination has grown since 2016. But the head of the electricity industry association said: “The answer is no” when asked if states are ready. In January, a criminal fire at a Berlin electrical site left over 100,000 people without power for days. In France, attacks in May 2025 cut electricity to 160,000 people for several hours.
Reference
Le Monde, “Le réseau électrique européen face aux menaces de sabotage et de cyberattaques,” published September 2, 2026. https://www.lemonde.fr/economie/article/2026/09/02/le-reseau-electrique-europeen-face-aux-menaces-de-sabotage-et-de-cyberattaques-le-scenario-du-pire-n-a-rien-d-ineluctable-mais-il-faut-s-y-preparer_6763909_3234.html