Russia evacuates staff from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant

Russia’s state nuclear company Rosatom said it removed an additional 198 staff members from Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant on Saturday, April 4, as fighting in the region continued. The company described the move as part of an ongoing drawdown of Russian personnel involved in the facility’s operations since the Iran war began in late February.

The latest evacuation adds to earlier withdrawals from the site, though Rosatom did not provide an updated cumulative total for how many people have been taken out since the conflict started. Rosatom’s statement framed the departures as a continuing process rather than a one-off action, reflecting what it said were deteriorating conditions around the plant.

Separately, the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) reported an incident at the Bushehr plant involving damage and a fatality. According to the IAEA, a member of the plant’s physical protection staff was killed after being struck by a projectile fragment. The agency also said a building on the site was damaged by shockwaves and fragments.

Rosatom chief Alexei Likhachev said events near the facility were developing in line with what he called a worst-case scenario. He identified the staff member who was killed as an Iranian national. Rosatom also said it has informed Russian President Vladimir Putin about the situation at Bushehr.

The withdrawals underscore how the conflict is affecting staffing and on-site activity at a major nuclear power facility. Rosatom said the continuing security situation has required a sustained reduction of Russian personnel connected to the plant’s operations, with the April 4 evacuation presented as the latest step in that process.

Key details remain unclear based on the information released. Rosatom did not specify how many staff members remain at Bushehr, how quickly further evacuations could proceed, or whether operational arrangements at the plant have been altered. The IAEA’s account noted the death and damage but did not provide additional technical detail in the information cited.