After the disconnection plans were announced, propaganda campaigns cropped up on social media and in printed leaflets in city streets that issued fake-news warnings about blackouts, severe energy shortages and sky-high energy bills for consumers.

Lithuania, Latvia and Estonia are still connected to Russia's electricity grid, but that's going to change soon in another sign of their confidence in the EU. With the move they turn the page on their Soviet past.

The attacks come as Estonia, Latvia, and Lithuania prepare to cut on February 8 their electricity links to Russia and Belarus.

The severing of electricity ties to oil- and gas-rich Russia and switching to European grids is steeped in geopolitical and symbolic significance.

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.