Russia initiated a planned evacuation of 198 workers from the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran shortly after a projectile, reportedly launched by US-Israeli forces, struck near the facility. This marks the third evacuation from the Gulf coast plant, which was constructed with Russian assistance. Currently, approximately 100 Russian staff remain at the site.
The region surrounding Bushehr has been targeted four times during the ongoing conflict. In the most recent attack on Saturday, a security guard at the plant was killed, although the facility itself sustained no damage, Iranian state reports.
In a significant development, Alexey Likhachev, head of Russia’s nuclear agency Rosatom, confirmed the commencement of the main evacuation phase. He stated that about 20 minutes after the attack, buses departed from Bushehr heading toward the Iranian-Armenian border, carrying precisely 198 evacuees—the largest evacuation to date.
Likhachev also noted that Russia had informed both the United States and Israel about the evacuation plans. He warned that the risk of damage or a potential nuclear incident is increasing, a concern underscored by the recent events near the plant.
