Russia spreads fake claims about Dniester pollution to discredit Ukraine
Kremlin propaganda has launched a large-scale disinformation campaign, attempting to shift responsibility for pollution of the Dniester River onto Ukraine.
Russian sources are actively spreading false versions of the incident to conceal the consequences of their own attacks on Ukrainian infrastructure.
According to the Centre for Countering Disinformation, pro-Russian media in Moldova are currently promoting three main false narratives.
The first claims that the disaster was caused by an “overturned Ukrainian truck carrying fuel oil”, a version not supported by any evidence.
The second fabricated claim suggests that “highly toxic rocket fuel” entered the water as a result of air defence operations.
The third scenario appears entirely absurd: propagandists allege the destruction of a fictitious “assembly workshop for Ukrainian Flamingo missiles”.
The Centre for Countering Disinformation has officially refuted these claims, stressing that “all these versions do not correspond to reality and are not supported by any evidence”.
In reality, the pollution of the Dniester is a direct consequence of a Russian attack on Ukraine’s energy infrastructure on 7 March.
Moscow is using these narratives to deflect blame for the environmental damage.
At the same time, an information campaign is being waged against Moldova’s leadership, which is being accused of inaction and concealing the true scale of the environmental problem.
An environmental alert has been declared in Moldova following what is described as a hybrid Russian attack.
Additionally, tens of thousands of people in Moldova have been left without access to water.
