Danube runs low and Russian strikes hit Ukraine's grid: two energy emergencies declared within days
Romania and Moldova separately declared an energy emergency: the former over the collapse of Danube water levels, the latter after a Russian attack in Ukraine disconnected a key power line.
Two neighbouring countries, two different causes, a single strain on south-eastern Europe’s power grid. Romanian premier Ilie Bolojan declared a national state of emergency in the energy sector for the entire month of August, after the Danube’s water level, which fell to a record low, forced the shutdown of one of the reactors at the Cernavodă nuclear plant. The government has allocated funds for works on the river aimed at temporarily diverting water from a canal, in an attempt to keep the second reactor connected to the grid. Bucharest is currently in talks with Ukraine and other neighbouring countries to secure energy imports during peak consumption hours.
The practical effect is already being felt in industry: more than 80 large industrial consumers, including the Dacia and Ford plants, have suspended or reduced production until August 19 to ease the load on the national grid.
A short distance away, the Moldovan parliament voted a separate 60-day energy state of emergency, after Russian attacks on Ukraine’s power grid disconnected the Isaccea-Vulcănești line, which links southern Moldova to Romania, a European Union member state. The measure passed with 72 votes in favour out of 101, none against and 18 abstentions. Authorities in Chișinău have urged the population to consume electricity “rationally” during peak hours, while repairs to the line continue.
| Country | Emergency duration | Direct cause |
|---|---|---|
| Romania | All of August | Record low Danube levels, Cernavodă reactor shut down |
| Moldova | 60 days | Russian attack disconnecting the Isaccea-Vulcănești line |
an attack on us, here in the Republic of Moldova — Alexandru Munteanu, Prime Minister of Moldova
The two declarations remain formally distinct — one linked to drought, the other to the war in Ukraine — but they share the same immediate effect: both governments are managing the crisis by seeking imports from abroad during peak hours, a sign of increasingly narrow room for manoeuvre on both sides of the Romanian-Moldovan border.
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