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Russia's state nuclear energy corporation Rosatom has begun the main phase of evacuating its personnel from the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in Iran, following a strike that killed a security guard near the facility. The evacuation, confirmed by Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev, involves 198 employees being transported by bus toward the Iranian-Armenian border, according to reports from TASS.

Coverage comparison

All four reports from the Russian state news agency TASS consistently describe the evacuation and the circumstances surrounding it. The earliest dispatch, dated April 4, quotes Likhachev stating that 198 people are on buses heading to the border. A later report, dated April 7, confirms that 175 of those employees have already arrived in Armenia and taken a special flight from Yerevan to Moscow, as stated by the Russian embassy in Armenia.

The reports also consistently attribute the evacuation to a projectile strike near the Bushehr plant on Saturday, which killed one of the facility's security guards. The Atomic Energy Organization of Iran (AEOI) is cited as the source for this information. All accounts agree that the main installations of the plant were not damaged.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) is quoted in two of the reports as emphasizing that strikes on nuclear power plant sites and adjacent areas are unacceptable due to the presence of critical safety equipment.

A separate report, dated April 2, provides additional context: Likhachev announced that Russia would ask all parties, including Israel and the United States, to strictly observe a ceasefire during the evacuation. He also expressed gratitude to the Iranian and Armenian governments for facilitating previous evacuations.

Key claims

  • 198 employees evacuated: Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev stated that 198 employees are being transported by bus from the Bushehr plant toward the Iranian-Armenian border. This figure is consistent across all reports.
  • 175 employees flown to Moscow: The Russian embassy in Armenia reported that 175 Rosatom employees took a special flight from Yerevan to Moscow after arriving through the Norduz-Agarak border crossing. This detail appears in a single report, but the embassy is an authoritative source.
  • Strike near the plant: The AEOI reported that a projectile hit an area near the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, killing one of its security guards. The reports do not specify who carried out the strike, but Likhachev is quoted in one dispatch as saying it was a US strike.
  • Plant's main installations undamaged: According to the AEOI, the main facilities of the plant were not damaged.
  • IAEA condemnation: The IAEA stated that strikes on nuclear power plant sites and adjacent areas are unacceptable because they contain equipment critical to nuclear safety.
  • Ceasefire request: Likhachev said that Russia will ask Israel and the United States to observe a ceasefire during the evacuation, and that evacuation routes will be communicated to the relevant authorities.