Russia begins second-stage evacuation of personnel from Iranian nuclear plant

2026-03-09 - 12:02

Russia's state atomic energy corporation has initiated the second phase of evacuating its citizens from Iran, prioritizing the safety of personnel working at the Bushehr nuclear power plant, Rosatom head Alexey Likhachev revealed in an interview with the corporate newspaper Strana Rosatom. "Our priority in the situation currently developing in Iran is to ensure the safety of the Russian personnel working on the construction of units No. 2 and No. 3 of the Bushehr NPP. That's over 600 people," Likhachev stated, confirming that main construction work has been temporarily suspended for obvious security reasons. Personnel safety priority as conflict intensifies Likhachev explained that while major construction has halted, some specialists remain to service equipment and complete tasks that cannot be abruptly stopped. "We have completed preparations for the second stage of optimizing the headcount, namely the evacuation of family members and part of the personnel to Russia. We will be moving them to a safe place in the near future," he said. Rosatom has established a dedicated hotline to maintain communication between workers in Iran and their relatives in Russia during the crisis. Difficult situation but no direct hits recorded Describing conditions near the Bushehr facility as "difficult," Likhachev noted that despite the tense atmosphere, no strikes have targeted the station, construction site or residential areas housing Russian personnel. He emphasized that President Vladimir Putin is personally monitoring the situation and actively participating in efforts to ensure employee safety. "I regularly inform the country's leadership about the situation both at the site and within the workforce," Likhachev added, underscoring the high-level attention given to protecting Russian citizens abroad. Regional escalation prompts evacuation The evacuation comes as the US-Israeli military campaign against Iran enters its second week, with over 1,300 Iranians killed including Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei since strikes began Feb. 28. Tehran has responded with drone and missile attacks targeting Israel and Gulf states hosting American military assets. The widening conflict has raised concerns about the safety of critical infrastructure, including nuclear facilities, prompting Moscow to take precautionary measures. For Türkiye, which maintains energy dialogue with both Russia and Iran, the evacuation highlights the deteriorating security environment along its eastern border and the potential for further regional destabilization affecting Turkish interests.