Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs summoned Russia’s ambassador to Chișinău and handed him a protest note along with a bottle of contaminated water collected from the Dniester River, following pollution caused by a recent Russian strike on Ukrainian infrastructure.
According to Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs on March 17, Ambassador Oleg Ozerov was called in response to environmental damage linked to Russia’s March 7 attack on the Novodnistrovsk hydropower complex in Ukraine. During the meeting, Moldovan officials presented a bottle of water taken directly from the Dniester as evidence of contamination.
In an official statement, the ministry said: “We strongly condemn this attack, which caused oil leaks into the Dniester River, generating major risks for the environment and the security of water supply in the Republic of Moldova.”
The Dniester River is a critical water source for the country, supplying approximately 80% of Moldova’s population and up to 98% of residents in the capital, Chișinău. Moldovan authorities emphasized that contamination of the river poses direct risks to public health, environmental safety, and national water security.
According to Moldova’s Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the protest note stressed the cross-border impact of the incident, stating that such actions “put at risk the environment, water supply security, and the health of citizens of the Republic of Moldova and cannot be accepted.”
The contamination followed a reported leak of fuel substances near the Novodnistrovsk hydropower facility in Ukraine’s Chernivtsi region after the March 7 strike. Ukrainian specialists recorded pollution levels exceeding permissible limits by 2.5 times near the village of Nahoriany.
Emergency response measures are being coordinated between Ukraine and Moldova. According to Ukrainian authorities, barrier systems and absorbent materials are expected to be deployed to contain and remove oil-based pollutants from the river surface.
The incident has already prompted broader action in Moldova. The government previously declared an environmental alert in the Dniester basin, introducing restrictions on water usage in affected areas and coordinating with European Union partners to mitigate the impact.
