Russia prepares final evacuation wave from Iran's Bushehr nuclear plant, over 200 to leave

MOSCOW

Russia is preparing the final wave of evacuation from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, with more than 200 people expected to leave next week, the head of state nuclear corporation Rosatom said Thursday.

Speaking at a media briefing in St. Petersburg, Alexey Likhachev described the evacuation as a priority for the company.

"Our main task now is to prepare the final wave of evacuation. This will involve more than 200 people. We expect it to take place next week. For various reasons, I cannot disclose either the timing or the routes," he said.

Likhachev said Rosatom is coordinating efforts with the Defense and Foreign Ministries and regularly briefing President Vladimir Putin on developments.

"He (Putin) is aware in detail — of the numbers, the routes, the timing — of our achievements in this area and of our plans," he said.

He added that Unit 1 of the Bushehr plant remains operational, with several dozen Russian personnel still at the site.

"We need to maintain the operational capability of both the construction site and the residential area, and of course, provide assistance to our Iranian partners in operating Unit 1, but these will be volunteers — a very limited number of people," he said.

Russia will request that all parties, including Israel and the United States, observe maximum restraint during the evacuation process, he noted.

"Naturally, the movement routes will be communicated to the competent authorities of both Israel and the US through all channels. We will request maximum adherence to the ceasefire regime during the movement of the convoys," he said.

Likhachev did not provide a precise timeline for the operation.

"A great deal depends on the specific military-political situation in the region. Any events could either delay or accelerate this evacuation. But I repeat, we are not living by days now — we are living by hours in this area," he said.