Moldovan environment minister says authorities setting filters to contain oil substances in Dniester River; Moldova asks for Romania’s support

Moldova’s authorities are intervening on the ground to limit the spread of oil substances detected in the waters of the Dniester River. Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder announced that specialized teams were working in the locality of Curesnita, northern Soroca district, to install filters that will capture pollutants.

According to the minister, more institutions are involved in the intervention, including the General Inspectorate for Emergency Situations (IGSU), Apele Moldovei (Moldova’s Waters), the Environmental Protection Inspectorate and the Environment Agency.

“We are working in the field to install filters to capture these oil substances. Since this morning, we have held a meeting with the Ukrainian side and we agreed that we will work together to eliminate this pollution,” the environment minister said.

The official noted that the Ukrainian authorities were also intervening to manage the situation, and operations are underway on both sides of the border. At the same time, monitoring of water quality continues and the latest analyses show a worsening of indicators at Naslavcea compared with the previous day.

In the context, the Moldovan authorities ruled to request support from partners in Romania for the installation of additional filters, so that they are prepared for possible scenarios in which oil substances continue to reach the territory of  Moldova.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian authorities have confirmed that the pollution of the Dniester River may be linked to Russian attacks on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure. According to Ukraine’s Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, the leak of oil products is believed to have occurred in the area of the Dniester hydropower plant after the missile attack on March 7, when damage to energy infrastructure led to the discharge of technical oils into the river.

Ukraine’s Deputy Minister of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, Iryna Ovcharenko said that the incident represented a new environmental consequence of the war.

“It is a new manifestation of the ecological aggression of the Russian Federation, which creates a threat to the transboundary security of waters and requires an adequate international legal assessment. Russia is once again confirming that it is a terrorist state, waging war not only against Ukraine, but also against the environment,” Iryna Ovcharenko stressed.

The environment minister of Moldova urged the population to follow official information published by the Moldova’s Environment Ministry regarding the evolution of the situation on the ground and the results of water analyses in the localities supplied from the Dniester River.

“I urge you to follow official sources – the page of the Environment Ministry or my personal page – where we will provide all details about the situation on the ground and about water analysis in the regions supplied with water from the Dniester,” Gheorghe Hajder said.

The ecological situation on the Dniester River has worsened in recent hours, as new volumes of oil substances continue to flow from Ukraine into the territory of Moldova. Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder announced an emergency update, raising the alert level to maximum for the northern area and imposing severe consumption restrictions.