Moldova’s Minister of Environment Gheorghe Hadjder stated in an interview with Radio Moldova that authorities still lack full clarity on the substances polluting the Dniester River.
Despite incomplete laboratory results, the minister has already attributed responsibility to Russia, estimating environmental damages in the “billions of lei.”
“I am confident the damage amounts to billions, considering not only material costs but also environmental harm,” he said.
No Final Data, But Conclusions Drawn
Hadjder acknowledged that water samples are still under analysis and that additional results from foreign laboratories are pending.
At the same time, he insisted the pollution is “under control” and likely caused by petroleum products, with no confirmed presence of heavy metals – though no public data has been provided to support these claims.
Emergency Measures Still in Development
The government is now planning:
• regional emergency storage facilities along the river,
• faster response deployment (within 1.5 hours),
• standardized intervention protocols.
The first bases are expected near Costesti-Stanca and in Chisinau.
Uncertainty About the Source
Authorities have not confirmed:
• the exact substances released,
• potential industrial or military damage in Ukraine,
• reports of heavy metals such as bismuth or beryllium.
Meanwhile, access to the alleged incident site in Ukraine remains restricted.
Contradictions and Open Questions
While independent environmental reports suggest possible traces of heavy metals, the minister dismissed such claims without presenting supporting documentation.
A month after the incident, Moldova is still waiting for definitive laboratory conclusions.
The key question remains unresolved:
why authorities rushed to assign blame and estimate damages before establishing what actually entered the river.
