BALTI, MOLDOVA — Tens of thousands of Moldovans have been left without water after a Russian strike on Ukraine's Novodnistrovsk hydropower plant on March 7, 2026 resulted in oil polluting the Dniester River. Authorities cut the water supply to several districts, including Balti.

The Novodnistrovsk hydropower plant is located about 15 kilometers upstream from Moldova's northern border with Ukraine. The plant supplies water to about 80% of Moldova's population of about 2.5 million.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu blamed Russia for the pollution on the Dniester River following the March 7 attack.

Moldova's environment ministry declared an environmental state of alert for 15 days. The environmental alert authorizes authorities to boost technical interventions and impose temporary restrictions on water supplies.

Moldova's military distributed drinking water in Balti using a 10-tonne tanker. Balti has a population of about 90,000 people. Some schools in Balti closed and moved learning online due to the water shortage.

Romania dispatched teams and equipment, including absorbent materials for dams, to aid cleanup efforts.

The Dniester River flows through southwestern Ukraine and Moldova into the Black Sea.