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Russian state nuclear corporation Rosatom is preparing to evacuate family members of Russian personnel and part of its workforce from the construction site of new units at Iran's Bushehr nuclear power plant, Rosatom Director General Alexei Likhachev said.
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"We have completed preparations for the second phase of personnel optimization, namely the evacuation of family members and part of the staff to Russia. We will be moving them to a safe place in the near future," Likhachev said, according to Gazeta.ru.
Likhachev said the situation in the area around the Bushehr plant remains difficult and that living conditions at the construction site are no longer possible. Construction work at the plant has been halted, he said, though a small number of personnel remain near the facility to complete work that cannot be stopped immediately.
In an earlier phase of evacuations, children of Rosatom employees and 94 members of excess personnel were evacuated from Iran following the start of hostilities.
Despite the difficult conditions in the surrounding area, Likhachev said no strikes have been recorded against the plant itself, its construction site, or personnel's residential areas.
"The situation in the area of the Bushehr nuclear power plant remains difficult. But fortunately, no strikes have been recorded against the plant itself, nor against the construction site and the residential settlements of the personnel," he told the Strana Rosatom newspaper.
Likhachev added that Russian President Vladimir Putin is personally involved in resolving security issues for Rosatom's employees.
"I regularly inform the country's leadership about the situation both at the site and within the team... Vladimir Putin is not just keeping the situation under control but is personally participating in resolving issues of ensuring the safety of our employees," he stated.
The U.S. and Israel launched strikes against targets on Iranian territory, including Tehran, on Feb. 28.
Iran has been carrying out retaliatory strikes against Israeli territory and U.S. military facilities in the Middle East region.
Washington and Tel Aviv described the start of the military operation as a preemptive strike, citing alleged threats from Tehran over its nuclear program.
The Bushehr nuclear power plant is located near the city of Bushehr on the Persian Gulf coast.
Construction began in 1975, with industrial operations launched in 2013. The first power unit was commissioned in 2011 under a contract with Rosatom. The plant is managed by the Atomic Energy Organization of Iran.
The reactor holds 72 tons of fuel, with an additional 210 tons of spent materials stored on site. Rosatom is currently overseeing construction of Units 2 and 3 at the facility.
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