Russia’s nuclear agency has lost contact with Iranian officials following missile strikes on enrichment sites, sparking fears for over 600 stranded Russian citizens and the potential for a regional catastrophe at the Bushehr power plant.
Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev reported on Tuesday that Moscow has lost all communication with Iran’s nuclear leadership as the conflict between Iranian and U.S.-Israeli forces enters its fourth day. Likhachev stated that officials have stopped answering phone calls and emails, leaving Russia unable to assess the extent of missile damage at the Fordow and Natanz enrichment facilities, while noting, “We still have no idea about the extent of the damage.”
Amid the escalating violence, 639 Russian citizens remain at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant where children have already been evacuated though Likhachev warned that any strike on the facility’s 282 tons of nuclear fuel would result in a “regional-scale disaster.” While the International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) has confirmed some damage to the Natanz site via satellite imagery, the Rosatom chief emphasized the precarious nature of the situation for the remaining personnel, explaining, “Not too many women remain there, but many women don’t want to leave. They want to stay with their husbands during these difficult times.”