Environment Minister: “New intervention equipment for the Nistru is coming from Romania to Moldova”
Romania sent new equipment on March 21 to remove oil spills from the Nistru and stop their spread, said Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder, adding the situation is under constant monitoring and intervention
“New equipment is heading from Romania to Moldova. Our teams are constantly monitoring the situation and carrying out intervention and maintenance work. We are installing new protective barriers, distributing eco-friendly absorbent material, and placing absorbent pads on the water surface. We remain mobilized, act responsibly, and will do everything necessary to protect the Nistru”, wrote Minister Hajder on Facebook.
This is the fourth batch provided by Romania to our country to manage the environmental crisis caused by the pollution of the Nistru.
The critical situation on the Nistru stems from an unprecedented cross-border pollution incident triggered by a Russian drone attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on the night of March 6–7. Among the targeted sites was the Novodnestrovsk hydropower plant, where explosions caused massive leaks of transformer oil and other petroleum products into the Nistru River.
The pollution wave reached the Republic of Moldova starting March 10, first detected near the village of Naslavcea in Ocnița district, then spreading across several northern regions. Laboratory analyses confirmed exceedances of maximum permissible concentrations of petroleum products and aromatic hydrocarbons, and authorities estimate the volume of pollutants could be dozens of times higher than the approximately 1.5 tons initially reported by the Ukrainian side.
Teams from Moldova and Romania installed absorbent barriers along multiple sections of the Nistru to limit the spread of pollutants. Romanian authorities sent specialized equipment and experts, while the European Union activated support mechanisms, including satellite imagery to monitor the oil spill.
Responsibility for the incident has been publicly attributed to the Russian Federation by authorities in Chișinău and Kyiv. President Maia Sandu stated that “Russia bears full responsibility” for the pollution of the Nistru, and the accredited Russian ambassador was summoned to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, where a note of protest was delivered.
We remind you that after nearly a week, residents of Bălți have running water again. Supplies have also resumed in Soroca, Florești, and Sângerei, but the water is safe only for household use. For drinking, people must buy bottled water or use free distribution points.
