New oil slicks on Dniester River; Moldovan authorities order reinforcement, expansion of anti-pollution barriers

The authorities have ordered the reinforcement and expansion of anti-pollution barriers on the Dniester River, including the installation of new retention points. Working teams will also boost the replacement of absorbent materials. The measures were introduced after the detection of a new wave of oil product slicks on the Dniester River.

Following information received from Ukraine, at an instruction by Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu, an emergency meeting was convened on the platform of the National Crisis Management Center (CNMC), with the participation of all competent institutions.

According to data presented at the meeting, the rising water level, caused by precipitation and controlled discharges from storage reservoirs, may carry downstream previously accumulated oil residues from shoreline and reed areas on the Ukrainian side.

“The Ukrainian authorities have already initiated interventions on their segment, while institutions of Moldova are operating in a state of maximum mobilization for the next 24–72 hours. At this stage, the authorities confirm that the film of oil products has not passed beyond the installed barriers, and in the Otaci area there is currently no evidence of pollution patches. The situation remains under constant monitoring,” the CNMC said.

In the context, the authorities have ordered additional field teams to be deployed and continuous monitoring of the situation, including the use of drones in the border area.

“Samples will also be taken twice a day, including downstream of the barriers, to assess the effectiveness of the interventions and any possible leaks. A new set of analyses will be carried out tomorrow morning in Naslavcea and Cosauti, in order to confirm the evolution of water quality indicators. At this stage, there are no grounds for declaring a state of alert or imposing restrictions on water use; however, the situation is being continuously monitored, and any decision will be taken based on laboratory tests’ results. The authorities stay on high alert and are acting quickly on the ground,” the CNMC specified.

Moldova also continues to benefit from support provided by the EU through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism and bilateral agreements. In this regard, a new batch of assistance from Slovakia was received today, which will help improve field intervention capacity.

The state of alert on the Dniester was introduced on March 16, 2026, for a period of 15 days, after the Dniester River had been affected by contamination with an oil substance following an attack on a hydropower plant in Ukraine by Russian forces on March 7. The pollutant was discharged into the watercourse and started moving into the territory of Moldova, which led to the suspension of water supply in more localities in the northern region.

Presently, 22 functional absorbent filters are installed on the Dniester River, and the intake stations are additionally protected with four absorbent filters each.