BUSHEHR, Iran, — Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom has increased its workforce at Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant to 135 specialists, marking a gradual return of personnel following the evacuation of more than 600 Russian employees earlier this year.
Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said nine additional engineers recently arrived at the plant to conduct scheduled preventive maintenance on Unit 1, the facility’s operational reactor. The 135 Russian specialists are currently working across the plant’s three units, including Unit 1 and Units 2 and 3, which are under construction.
Rosatom had evacuated more than 600 employees from Bushehr after U.S. and Israeli military strikes on Iran began on February 28, 2026. Around 20 Russian personnel remained at the site to maintain essential operations and construction activities.
The return of Russian specialists began gradually during the summer. The number increased from 25 in August to 42 later that month, 63 in late September and around 80 in early October before reaching the current 135.
Bushehr’s Unit 1, a Russian-designed VVER reactor with a capacity of about 1,000 megawatts, has been generating electricity for Iran since 2011. The reactor is currently offline for routine preventive maintenance.
Russia and Iran are also continuing construction work on Units 2 and 3 at the Bushehr site. Likhachev has said Rosatom is increasing its presence in line with its contractual obligations.
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