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By Open Chronicle Staff with Agencies | Monday, March 10, 2026
MOSCOW / BUSHEHR — The Russian state nuclear energy corporation, Rosatom, has officially entered the second stage of evacuating personnel and their families from the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant (NPP) in southern Iran.
Alexey Likhachev, head of Rosatom, confirmed Monday that the corporation is relocating family members and non-essential staff to Russia as a “top priority” amid the intensifying U.S.–Israeli military campaign. While construction on units No. 2 and No. 3 has been suspended, Likhachev noted that approximately 600 specialized personnel remain on-site to maintain critical equipment and manage operations that “cannot be stopped immediately.”
“Finger on the Pulse”
The decision to initiate the second phase of “headcount optimization” follows reports from last week that explosions were audible just kilometers from the plant’s perimeter. Although Likhachev stated that no direct strikes have hit the reactor or residential settlements yet, the proximity of the fighting has made the continued presence of civilians untenable.
“We are keeping our finger on the pulse,” Likhachev said in an interview with Strana Rosatom. “President Vladimir Putin is personally involved in resolving issues related to the safety of our employees and is kept under constant control.”
Averting a “Regional Chernobyl”
The high stakes of the evacuation are underscored by the sheer volume of fissile material at the site. The Bushehr reactor, which operates at full capacity, contains roughly 72 tons of fuel and 210 tons of spent fuel. Rosatom has warned that a direct hit on the facility would trigger a “regional-scale disaster” comparable to the 1986 Chernobyl catastrophe, threatening the environment of the entire Persian Gulf.
Geopolitical Deadlock
The evacuation comes as:
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Air Routes Closed: Russian citizens are being funneled through overland routes into Azerbaijan and Armenia, as regional airspace remains a combat zone.
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Diplomatic Silence: Rosatom officials admitted they have lost direct contact with the leadership of Iran’s nuclear sector, relying instead on high-level Kremlin channels.
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Putin-Trump Coordination: President Putin reportedly discussed the “inviolability” of the Bushehr site during his hour-long phone call with President Donald Trump on Monday, seeking assurances that the nuclear facility will not be targeted in the ongoing operation.
As the second wave of 150–200 staff and family members departs, the skeleton crew remaining at Bushehr represents the last line of defense against a potential radiological disaster in a region already ravaged by a week of high-intensity warfare.