Moldova asks EU for help over Dnister pollution caused by Russian attack

Moldovan Prime Minister Alexandru Munteanu has announced that Moldova has asked the EU for assistance in dealing with the pollution of the Dnister River.

Source: European Pravda, citing Newsmaker, a Moldovan media outlet

Details: According to Munteanu, EU assistance is needed to strengthen the capacity of state institutions responsible for monitoring and dealing with the aftermath of the pollution.

Quote: "We are asking our European partners for support to quickly mobilise teams of experts and the necessary equipment to work on the Dnister. This includes equipment for capturing, containing and collecting oil pollution from the water, as well as mobile stations for testing water quality."

Details: After a Russian missile and drone attack on Ukraine on 7 March, oil stains were detected in the Dnister River. According to Ukraine's Ministry of Economy, Environment and Agriculture, early reports suggest that the pollution may be linked to a leak of rocket fuel near the Dnister Hydroelectric Power Plant in Chernivtsi Oblast following the Russian attack.

The pollution spread downstream, particularly near the village of Naslavcea in Moldova.

Moldova's Minister of Environment Gheorghe Hajder said that some settlements in northern Moldova may be left without water.

According to him, the Ukrainian side has been carrying out work on its section of the Dnister riverbank since the morning of 13 March. Experts from Romania have also joined the operation, installing additional filters to purify the water.

Soldiers from Moldova's National Army have arrived in the north of the country to help deal with the environmental threat. A camp to manage the situation has been set up in the village of Cureșnița in the Soroca region.

To prevent possible risks, fishing has been banned in the Naslavcea-Dubăsari section of the Dnister River until 1 April.

Background:

• On 10 March, Moldova sent an official request to Ukraine over the appearance of oily patches on the Dnister River.
• Later, Moldovan experts began installing filters to stop the spread of pollution along the river.

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