MOSCOW: Russia will continue the process of evacuating its personnel from the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran, after a series of attacks near the sensitive facility raised security concerns.
The head of the country’s nuclear corporation, Rosatom, Alexei Likhachev, confirmed that only a few workers would be left at the site for minimal operations, while hundreds more would be taken out in several waves of evacuation.
Likhachev previously stated that around 480 Russian workers were in Bushehr, but the increasingly tense situation forced Rosatom to accelerate security measures for its staff.
According to him, a series of additional evacuations have been planned and are expected to begin this week.
The evacuation announcement was made following reports that a missile or projectile had landed near the plant’s metrology services building, very close to the still-operating reactor.
The incident caused no damage or injuries, but it sparked strong warnings from Rosatom as well as international nuclear safety bodies.
Likhachev described the attack on areas near nuclear facilities as a “serious disregard for international security”, while stressing the urgent need to de-escalate the conflict around Bushehr.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov also warned that an attack on a nuclear site like Bushehr could lead to “irreversible consequences”.
He stressed that Russia has urged the United States (US) to avoid any military action that targets the plant, given the enormous security risk to the region and the world.
According to reports, the attacks near Bushehr came as tensions rose due to the ongoing conflict involving Iran, the US , and Israel , including airstrikes that have triggered a series of cross-border reactions.
Rosatom stressed that despite the large-scale evacuation, a small number of specialists will remain in Bushehr to ensure the plant operates safely and stably, especially in terms of reactor integrity and monitoring of nuclear materials.
Likhachev stated that human safety is the “absolute priority” in every operational decision.
In a statement to a Russian news agency, he also confirmed that Rosatom is in close contact with the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), Iranian authorities, and Russian leaders to ensure that safety measures are fully complied with.
–ASTRO AWANI
