Promo-LEX Association filed a criminal complaint on Monday, March 16, with the Prosecutor General’s Office of the Republic of Moldova regarding the massive contamination of the Dniester River with petroleum substances.
The NGO claims that the pollution was caused by a military attack carried out by Russia on the Dniester Hydropower Complex in Novodnistrovsk, Ukraine, on March 7, 2026.
Through this complaint, the organization requested the initiation of criminal proceedings for actions that could constitute the crimes of water pollution and ecocide under the Criminal Code of the Republic of Moldova.
In the complaint, Promo-LEX Association asked prosecutors to urgently secure relevant evidence, including laboratory analysis results, monitoring data, water and sediment samples, and satellite imagery. The organization also called for complex judicial examinations in the fields of environmental science, hydrology, toxicology, and chemistry, as well as international judicial cooperation with authorities in Ukraine.
In addition, the NGO requested an assessment and quantification of the ecological and material damage caused. According to Promo-LEX, pollution of the Dniester River directly affects the vital interests of the Republic of Moldova, as the river provides drinking water for the majority of the country’s population.
“Massive pollution of the Dniester River is not an administrative incident but an act of exceptional gravity that affects the right to a healthy environment and the right to water for hundreds of thousands of people,” said Vadim Vieru.
According to him, opening a criminal investigation is necessary to document the facts, preserve evidence, and determine the damage suffered by the Republic of Moldova, potentially serving as the basis for future claims for compensation.
According to information presented by the NGO, during the night of March 6–7, 2026, Russian armed forces attacked the Dniester Hydroelectric Power Station, located about 15 kilometers from Moldova’s border, with missiles and drones. The explosions allegedly caused a massive spill of technical oils and other petroleum substances into the Dniester River.
Denunt PG Promo-LEX by Realitatea.md
The first pollution spots were detected on Moldovan territory starting on March 10, while laboratory tests conducted by the Environmental Agency of the Republic of Moldova confirmed that concentrations exceeded the maximum permissible levels.
Following the contamination, authorities suspended the supply of drinking water from the Dniester River in Balti and other localities. Fishing was also banned in the sector between Naslavcea and the Dubasari Reservoir.
Authorities mobilized the National Army of the Republic of Moldova and requested the activation of the European Union Civil Protection Mechanism. On March 15, the government declared a 15-day environmental alert for the basin of the Dniester River.