Deputy Prime Minister: Moldova to seek compensation from Russia for attack on Isaccea–Vulcănești line

The Republic of Moldova will request compensation from the Russian Federation for the damage caused by the attack on the Isaccea–Vulcănești high-voltage power line, Deputy Prime Minister Mihai Popșoi said on TV8. He said that for now, the authorities are focusing on repairing the damage, after which the impact will be assessed and diplomatic steps will be initiated.

Popșoi stressed that the damages are considerable and cannot be ignored:

“The damage is significant and we will have to see how we can present the bill, because this attack cannot be overlooked. It is a serious blow to the welfare of the Republic of Moldova and to state property, including high-voltage lines. First, of course, we must carry out the repairs, then we will make the assessment and, through diplomatic channels, we will request compensation from the Russian Federation,” Popșoi said.

The Deputy Prime Minister explained that the exact damage assessment will take place after the repair works are completed, and then the authorities will act through diplomatic means.

“Our specialists are working very closely with the Ukrainians and we hope that in 5–7 days we will be able to restore the situation,” the minister noted.

Popșoi recalled that this is the second such incident in recent weeks, after the attack on the Novodnestrovsk hydropower plant, which had direct effects on the citizens of the Republic of Moldova:

“The consequences were strongly felt by citizens – for practically a week, an entire region of the country was left without drinking water, and the Dniester’s ecosystem was affected. We will certainly file a claim for compensation, but for now it is too early to talk about figures. Specialists are still working, and after the process is completed, we will send a diplomatic note to the Russian side,” Popșoi added.

The Deputy Prime Minister assured that the authorities in Chișinău will continue to monitor the situation and take measures to reduce the impact on the population and on energy infrastructure. On the night of 23 to 24 March, Russia launched one of the largest combined attacks in recent months against Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. The impact was also directly felt in the Republic of Moldova: the 400 kV Isaccea–Vulcănești power line was put out of operation. Near the damaged pylon, on Ukrainian territory, crashed drones were found. Before the incident, this line covered approximately 60–70% of the electricity consumption on the right bank of the Dniester.

For 25 March, the electricity demand was covered by Energocom and Moldelectrica, in cooperation with transmission system operators from Romania, Ukraine and other states in the region.

On 24 March, Parliament introduced a state of emergency in the energy sector for a period of 60 days. However, the authorities warn that the risk of outages remains high in the coming days, due to limitations in technical import capacity, and are calling on consumers to reduce electricity use during peak hours.