Moldovan environment minister unveils report in parliament: “I will call things by their name: the sole party responsible for this massive pollution is the Russian Federation”

Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder, at a today’s plenary meeting of the parliament, unveiled a detailed report on the pollution of the Dniester River, noting that responsibility for the incident lies with the Russian Federation, which had attacked Ukraine’s infrastructure.

According to the environment minister, the pollution was caused by an attack on a hydropower complex in Ukraine, which resulted in massive discharges of oil products into the Dniester River.

“I will call things by their name: the sole party responsible for this massive pollution is the Russian Federation. This is not a natural accident, but a direct consequence of the war at our border, of the attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure. What we see today in the river is the result of an aggression that creates direct risks for public health and for state security. The consequences of the war do not stop at the border,” Hajder emphasized.

The minister said that the first signs of contamination had been detected on March 10, and the authorities intervened immediately.

“As soon as we detected the first signs of pollution, we mobilized all competent  institutions. Samples were taken, and since then we have been continuously and strictly monitoring water quality. In parallel, we requested official information from the Ukrainian side, in order to understand the scale of the situation and to be able to act effectively,” he said.

To limit the effects, the authorities installed absorbent barriers and took risk-mitigation measures.

“We installed over 20 barriers in strategic areas of the Dniester River, in order to stop or reduce the spread of pollution. They are constantly monitored, cleaned and replaced when necessary. In addition, we use biodegradable absorbent materials to reduce the impact on the environment,” the minister noted.

He specified that, during the critical period, water intake for cities in the north of the country had been temporarily suspended, and the population was supplied from reserves.

“We made the difficult but necessary decision to temporarily stop water intake from the Dniester. During this period, the population was supplied from existing reserves in order to avoid any health risk,” Hajder explained.

Subsequently, after water quality was confirmed, supply was gradually restored.

“Following more laboratory analyses confirmed that the water is safe for consumption, we gradually resumed supply in the affected localities – Soroca, Sangerei, Floresti and the municipality of Balti. It was a priority for us not to endanger people’s health,” the official said.

Hajder specified that the government had declared a state of alert across the entire Dniester basin to allow for rapid intervention.

“The state of alert gave us the necessary tools to intervene quickly, mobilize resources and coordinate the actions of the institutions involved,” the minister also said.

Hajder thanked the teams involved and external partners for their support.

“Over 850 people were involved in managing this crisis. People worked day and night to protect the population. I thank them all: rescuers, specialists, local authorities and external partners, especially our colleagues from Romania, who responded promptly to our request,” he said.

At the same time, the minister criticized the spread of false information during the crisis.

“Regrettably, there were also attempts at disinformation that triggered panic. In such situations, it is essential that citizens get information only from official sources,” Hajder warned.

In conclusion, the official reiterated that the situation remains under monitoring.

“We continue strict monitoring of water quality and are ready to intervene at any time. Our priority stays protecting the health of citizens and the environment,” concluded the environment minister.

The Dniester River was polluted following an attack on the Novodnistrovsk hydropower plant in Ukraine, which led to leaks of oil substances into the river.