A Russian attack on a hydropower plant in Ukraine has triggered a major water supply crisis in neighboring Moldova, after oil contamination polluted the Dniester River, a key water source for both countries.

Moldovan President Maia Sandu blamed Russia for the contamination following the March 7 strike on the Novodnistrovsk hydropower plant in Ukraine. The facility is located roughly 15 kilometres upstream from Moldova’s northern border and supplies water to about 80 percent of the country’s population of 2.5 million.

Sandu said the pollution has disrupted drinking water supplies, leaving thousands of residents facing shortages. In a statement posted on social media, she said Russia bears “full responsibility” for the crisis, warning that the attack poses a serious threat to Moldova’s water security.

Since launching its invasion of Ukraine in 2022, Russia has repeatedly targeted civilian infrastructure, including dams and ports, raising concerns about environmental damage and regional stability.

Meanwhile, fighting continues across Ukraine. In the Black Sea port city of Odesa, Russian drone strikes hit residential buildings, sparking fires and injuring at least three people.

According to Russia’s defence ministry, its forces have also captured several villages in eastern Ukraine’s Donetsk region, including Fedorivka Druha and Pavlivka, signaling continued advances on the battlefield.

The latest developments highlight the widening humanitarian and environmental consequences of the ongoing conflict, with impacts now extending beyond Ukraine’s borders.