Stock Markets April 13, 2026 10:07 AM

Russia Commences Final Evacuation Phase at Bushehr Nuclear Station

Rosatom says only a minimal technical team remains on site after departure of 108 staffers; prior workforce numbered about 700

By Derek Hwang
Russia Commences Final Evacuation Phase at Bushehr Nuclear Station

Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said Russia has entered the last stage of withdrawing personnel from the Bushehr nuclear power plant in southern Iran. On Monday morning 108 employees departed the facility, leaving a 20-person skeleton crew composed of engineering and technical staff responsible for equipment safety. The staged pullout began soon after the start of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran and continues despite a U.S.-Iran cease-fire announced last week by President Trump. Before the conflict, roughly 700 Russian specialists were based at the Russian-built plant, Likhachev previously stated.

Key Points

  • Russia has entered the final phase of evacuating personnel from the Bushehr nuclear plant - impacts energy and geopolitical monitoring sectors.
  • 108 employees left the facility Monday morning, leaving 20 engineering and technical staff charged with equipment safety - impacts nuclear operations and technical services sectors.
  • The phased withdrawal began soon after the start of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran and continued despite a U.S.-Iran cease-fire announced last week by President Trump - impacts diplomatic and security-related market intelligence.

Russia has moved into what Rosatom describes as the final phase of removing its workforce from the Bushehr nuclear power plant, leaving only a minimal complement of staff at the facility, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said.

According to Likhachev, a group of 108 employees departed the site on Monday morning, after which 20 individuals remained on duty. He told Russia’s TASS state news agency that the remaining personnel are engineering and technical staff assigned to maintain the safety of equipment at the Russian-built plant in southern Iran.

The evacuation follows a phased withdrawal that Rosatom began soon after the start of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran. The drawdown has continued even after a U.S.-Iran cease-fire was announced last week by President Trump, Likhachev said. Prior to the onset of the conflict, Rosatom’s own figures indicated that about 700 Russian specialists worked at Bushehr.

Rosatom’s account frames the current posture at Bushehr as one in which operational safety tasks are still being carried out by a small, technically focused crew while the broader expatriate complement departs. Likhachev’s comments, as reported by TASS, provide the primary public description of the scale and composition of the workforce remaining at the site.

Details beyond the numbers provided by Rosatom are limited. The company has characterized the remaining 20 staffers specifically as those responsible for the safety of equipment, but further operational or logistical information about the phased evacuation has not been included in Rosatom’s statements cited by TASS.


Summary

Rosatom says it has entered the final stage of evacuating personnel from the Bushehr nuclear power plant, with 108 employees leaving Monday morning and 20 engineering and technical staff remaining to safeguard equipment. The withdrawal began after the start of the U.S. and Israeli war with Iran and has proceeded despite a U.S.-Iran cease-fire announced last week by President Trump. Before the conflict, around 700 Russian specialists were based at the plant, according to Rosatom.

Risks

  • Limited on-site staffing may affect routine operational oversight and maintenance at the plant; this concern primarily affects the nuclear energy sector and associated safety regulators.
  • Public reporting provides only figures and roles without additional operational detail, creating uncertainty about contingency arrangements and readiness - relevant to energy markets and geopolitical risk assessment.
  • The evacuation proceeded amid active regional conflict and subsequent diplomatic developments, leaving ambiguity about the longer-term staffing and operational posture at the facility - affecting investors and policymakers focused on energy security and regional stability.

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