A statement by Rosatom has said a strike has breached the protection circuit of Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, warning that the risk of a catastrophic nuclear incident is rising sharply as Russian personnel are evacuated from the site.

The statement said a “deadly strike just breached the Bushehr nuclear plant's protection circuit in Iran where many Russians were working” and warned that “a catastrophic nuclear incident risk is skyrocketing and they are evacuating the Russians”. The claims have not been independently verified, and there has been no immediate response from Iranian authorities.

Bushehr, Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant, is operated with significant Russian involvement, including engineers and technical specialists. The facility has been central to civilian nuclear co-operation between Moscow and Tehran and remains under monitoring by the International Atomic Energy Agency.

A breach of a protection circuit would raise concerns over the resilience of the plant’s safety mechanisms, which are designed to prevent escalation in the event of external attacks or system failures. Experts have previously cautioned that disruption to such systems could heighten the risk of radiation release, particularly if compounded by damage to cooling or containment infrastructure.

The reported evacuation of Russian personnel suggests Moscow is treating the situation with urgency. Russia’s state nuclear corporation has played a key role in the plant’s construction and ongoing operation, meaning any withdrawal could affect technical oversight.

There has been no confirmation from Iranian authorities or the IAEA regarding damage to the facility or its current safety status, leaving uncertainty over the scale of the incident and whether nuclear safety systems remain intact.