Oleg Ozerov was summoned on Tuesday morning to the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova, where authorities in Chisinau handed him a note of protest regarding the pollution of the Dniester River.
Officials placed bottles containing water samples collected from the river—after Russia’s attack on the hydropower plant in Novodnistrovsk, Ukraine—on the table in front of the diplomat.
“The Republic of Moldova strongly condemns this attack, which caused petroleum leaks into the Dniester River, generating major risks for the environment and the security of water supply. The river provides water for approximately 80% of the country’s population and for 98% of the municipality of Chisinau.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Moldova emphasizes that such actions with major cross-border impact endanger the environment, water security, and the health of citizens of the Republic of Moldova and cannot be accepted,” the ministry stated.
Authorities in Chisinau reported that, on March 7, bombardments targeting the hydropower facility in Ukraine left much of northern Moldova without running water. The oil slick on the Dniester River reached the Dubasari Hydropower Plant, prompting officials to declare a state of alert on the river.
Authorities activated the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism, while Romania intervened to help secure the river and sent water tankers to the Republic of Moldova.