Ecological crisis in Moldova: Dniester polluted after Russian attack in Ukraine

In a symbolic gesture of protest, Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs handed a bottle filled with polluted water from the Dniester to the Russian ambassador on Tuesday, March 17, 2026. Large amounts of technical oils and other petroleum-derived substances entered the river last week following a Russian strike on a hydropower complex in Ukraine. Moldova’s authorities declared a 15-day environmental alert for the Dniester basin.

Rivers do not know borders

On March 7, Russian forces attacked a hydropower plant in Novodnistrovsk in Ukraine’s Chernivtsi region, near the border with Moldova. As a result of the strike, significant amounts of technical oils and other petroleum-derived substances entered the Dniester. According to Ukrainian hydrologists, pollution levels in the area of the village of Nahoriany exceeded permissible standards by 2.5 times.

Within a few days, pollution slicks crossed the border and flowed downstream into Moldovan territory. On March 10, they were observed near the village of Naslavcea. Due to the scale of the contamination, the Moldovan government decided to introduce an environmental emergency in the Dniester basin for 15 days starting March 16. Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu assured that the necessary response and coordination mechanisms had been activated, and that central and local authorities were doing everything possible to limit the effects of the contamination.

Restrictions on water intake were introduced in sections where pollution levels exceed permissible safety standards. In some localities, water supplies were temporarily suspended, and the military was involved in logistical operations related to delivering water to residents.

Moldova’s drinking water resources at risk

Prime Minister Munteanu reported that in the Năslavcea-Soroca area, exceedances of permissible levels for petroleum products and aromatic hydrocarbons in the water have been observed. The situation is dynamic, as pollution moves in waves. A statement issued on Tuesday evening by the Embassy of Ukraine in Moldova indicated that the leak had been stopped. Initial estimates spoke of 1.5 tonnes of substances, but the total amount may be several dozen times higher.

The Dniester is Moldova’s most important river and the main source of drinking water for about 80 percent of the country’s population and 98 percent of the residents of Chișinău. According to the authorities, the contamination poses a direct threat to the natural environment, water supplies and public health. In a protest note handed to the Russian ambassador, Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs condemned the attack on the Ukrainian hydropower plant, emphasizing its cross-border consequences.

Europe mobilizes support

To address the crisis, the Republic of Moldova requested the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. In response, Romania sent a team of experts equipped with specialized oil spill response equipment to the Dniester. Barriers and filters absorbing pollutants are being installed on the river.

A humanitarian convoy with tankers filled with drinking water departed from the Romanian city of Iași to Bălți. Additionally, the EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre activated the EMSA satellite imaging service, used to detect and monitor spills.

Solidarity with Moldova was expressed by Marta Kos, EU Commissioner for Enlargement, who emphasized that Russia’s war does not end at Ukraine’s borders.