Russia has evacuated some of its employees from the Iranian nuclear power plant “Busher“, announced the executive director of “Rosatom“ Alexei Likhachev, reports News.bg.
“We have already evacuated some of the people who were seconded to Bushehr by different routes. Thanks to Azerbaijan and Armenia, dozens of our colleagues have left Iran, including those who worked in Tehran. For now, we consider it possible to leave some of the staff in Bushehr“, Likhachev told journalists during the St. Petersburg Economic Forum.
He stressed that “Rosatom“ is ready for any scenario, including an emergency evacuation of all Russian specialists. According to him, the situation remains under control, although alarming.
„So far, the situation is completely under control. The night passed in the usual alarming, but manageable atmosphere. We continue to work in pre-mobilization mode“, Likhachev said, quoted by „Interfax“.
The head of „Rosatom“ warned that a possible strike on the „Busher“ nuclear power plant could have catastrophic consequences:
„Theoretically, such an accident would lead to a tragedy not only for Iran and its people, but also for a number of other countries in the region. Israel is located about 1,500 kilometers away, and radiation knows no borders. Therefore, together with the IAEA leadership, we insist on refraining from any strikes in the Bushehr area. Nothing should be flown into this area.“
Meanwhile, an Israeli military spokesman said on Thursday that military strikes had been carried out on nuclear sites in Bushehr, Isfahan and Natanz, with operations continuing against other facilities. An Israeli military official later denied the Bushehr attack, calling it a “mistake” and said he could neither confirm nor deny whether the facility near the Persian Gulf had been hit.
Later, Russian President Vladimir Putin announced that an agreement had been reached with the Israeli leadership to guarantee the security of Russian specialists involved in the construction of two new power units at the “Busher“ nuclear power plant.