An oil spill which has been blamed on a Russian attack in Ukraine has polluted a major river in Moldova, prompting authorities to cut water supplies to the northern city of Balti.
Ukrainian authorities said oil began leaking after a Russian strike on the Dniester hydroelectric plant on 7 March, with the first slicks appearing three days later on the Dniester river - a vital source for most of Moldova and the Odesa region in southwestern Ukraine.
Moldova imposed a 15-day state of alert in the Dniester river basin on Monday as a precaution.
Russia's ambassador was summoned by the foreign ministry in protest and shown a bottle of cloudy water from the polluted river.
He refused to comment to reporters as he left the meeting, according to Moldovan media.
Moldovan Environment Minister Gheorghe Hajder stated supplies would only be restored once oil levels had dropped to the recommended limit of 0.1mg per litre of water.
He added that readings on Monday night were too high for northern areas including Balti, the third-largest city in Moldova, and further results on Tuesday would determine if the water could be brought back online.
Three other northern towns have been affected by this water crisis.
The pollution has also impacted water supplies in Ukraine, with contamination reported in the Chernivtsi, Vinnytsya and Odesa regions, according to Ukrainian Deputy Minister Iryna Ovcharenko.
Hajder noted that Ukrainian officials assured him the source of the oil pollution had been contained.
As a response, schools in the Balti area have transitioned to online learning, while authorities focus on delivering tankers of potable water to the local population.
Maia Sandu, Moldova's pro-European president, has expressed strong support for Ukraine since Russia's full-scale invasion, underscoring that Russia "bears full responsibility" for the oil pollution.
Despite having a population of 2.4 million, Moldova still hosts a Russian military base in the Russian-speaking breakaway region of Transnistria, where local reports indicate oil has also been observed, although officials there do not expect to implement restrictions on drinking water.
Meanwhile, Moldovan police have reported that an active Russian drone, armed with an explosive device, landed 500 meters inside the Ukraine-Moldova border in the village of Tudora.
