Russia has evacuated most of its personnel from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, as concerns grow over the safety of critical infrastructure amid escalating conflict in the Middle East, AzerNEWS reports, citing Anadolu Agency.
The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, said on Sunday that the main wave of evacuations, comprising 198 staff, was under way and heading towards the Armenian border.
“I very much hope that by tonight they will already be on the territory of the Republic of Armenia,” he said, adding that a further evacuation of personnel was planned for next week.
Some employees, however, have chosen to remain at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant to continue monitoring operations despite the risks. Likhachev stressed that the reactor remains operational and is vital for Iran’s energy supply.
He also urged all parties to the conflict, as well as international organisations, to avoid any actions that could endanger the facility, warning of the potential consequences of escalation around an active nuclear reactor.
The evacuation follows a sharp deterioration in regional security after the United States and Israel launched joint military operations against Iran earlier this year. Tehran has since responded with drone and missile strikes across the region, while tensions have increasingly threatened key energy and transport routes.
Russia’s involvement in Bushehr dates back decades. After the project was abandoned following Iran’s 1979 revolution, Moscow stepped in during the 1990s to complete the plant, which became operational in 2011. Further agreements to expand the site with additional reactors were signed in 2014.
The partial withdrawal of Russian personnel highlights growing fears that the conflict could endanger not only military targets but also civilian and энергетическая infrastructure, raising the stakes for regional and global security.
