Russian Nuclear Specialists to Support Planned Repairs at Bushehr Power Plant
Rosatom says its team in Iran will grow from 47 to 150 specialists as scheduled maintenance begins on the plant’s first unit.
Rosatom says 47 Russian specialists have returned to Iran’s Bushehr nuclear plant and that the team will expand to 150 for planned maintenance and fuel-assembly replacement at the first unit, scheduled to begin in mid-September 2026. The claims were reported by IRNA from RIA Novosti and were not independently verified.
## Verified facts According to Iran’s IRNA, citing Russia’s RIA Novosti, Rosatom Director General Alexey Likhachev said that Russian specialists would enter Iran to carry out planned maintenance at the first unit of the Bushehr nuclear power plant. He said 47 Rosatom specialists had already returned to the facility and that the number was expected to increase to 150.
Likhachev said the maintenance work, including the replacement of fuel assemblies, was due to begin from mid-September 2026. He also stated that replacement nuclear fuel had been delivered to the plant. The report says Russian personnel are involved both in the construction of Bushehr’s second and third units and in scheduled maintenance of the operating first unit.
The official said the condition at the Bushehr plant was currently calm, following discussions between the Iranian and Russian presidents about the facility.
## Analysis The announcement indicates a planned expansion of Russian technical personnel at Bushehr rather than an emergency deployment. The stated focus is routine maintenance and fuel-assembly replacement at the plant’s operating unit. Russia’s continuing role at Bushehr also extends beyond maintenance to the construction of additional units.
The information is based on statements attributed to Rosatom’s head and relayed by IRNA from RIA Novosti. No independent technical assessment, timeline for completion, or details about the specific maintenance scope were provided in the source report.
## Uncertainty The report does not independently verify the number of specialists already present, the planned increase to 150 personnel, the delivery of fuel, or the precise start date and duration of the maintenance work. It also provides no further operational details about the plant’s first unit or the status of construction on units two and three.