Rosatom chief warns of rising threat to Bushehr nuclear plant

The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom, Alexey Likhachev, has warned that the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is facing increasing risks amid the escalating conflict in Iran.

Speaking to journalists, Likhachev said explosions are being heard just kilometres from the facility’s physical protection perimeter.

“There is certainly a threat to the plant, as explosions are already being heard within kilometres of the station’s physical protection line. They are directed at military targets, but as the conflict intensifies, the threat to the station is increasing,” he stated.

Likhachev cautioned that any strike affecting the reactor or the spent fuel storage facilities could result in contamination across vast areas and trigger unpredictable radiation dispersion.

“All parties to the conflict must proceed from the unconditional priority of the safety of the nuclear facility, regardless of political positions,” he emphasised.

The warning comes against the backdrop of US and Israeli airstrikes on Iranian territory. Tehran has responded with missile attacks targeting Israel and US military bases in the Persian Gulf. Media reports indicate that strikes have also impacted the city of Bushehr, where the nuclear power plant was constructed by Rosatom.

By Tamilla Hasanova