Oil spill on Dniester River: EU Civil Protection Mechanism expands its support to Moldova

Assistance through the EU Civil Protection Mechanism, helping Moldova to tackle the oil spill on the Dniester River, has been expanded with new support from Belgium and Slovakia.

The pollution of the Dniester River, the most important source of drinking water for the majority of Moldova’s population, was caused by Russia’s attack on the Novodnistrovsk hydropower plant in Chernivtsi Oblast on 7 March.

Belgium has provided 43 floating booms, 3 oil skimmers, and 11 storage tanks. Slovakia sent 42 containment booms, 10 petrol sludge pumps, 220 litres of Bioversal (eco-friendly cleaning and fire-extinguishing agent), and 30 drinking water containers.

These new contributions complement the assistance already provided by Romania (experts and water management modules) and Luxembourg (high-capacity generators). Personal protective equipment was provided from rescEU reserves in Poland and Germany.

The EU Emergency Response Coordination Centre (ERCC) has also activated EMSA’s satellite imagery services to assist in the detection and monitoring of oil spills.

In addition, as part of the ‘EU4Moldova: Resilience – secure state, strong communities’ project, funded by the EU and implemented by Solidarity Fund PL, biodegradable absorbent materials have already been delivered. These are being used in the districts of Criuleni and Dubăsari to contain the pollution. 

A further 5 tonnes of sorbent and other specialised equipment needed to overcome the crisis are expected to be delivered shortly.

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Press release

Moldova: EU activates EU Civil Protection Mechanism due to oil spills in Dniester River, caused by Russia