Russia’s nuclear energy corporation has sounded the alarm over an Israeli attack on Iran’s Bushehr nuclear power plant, warning that it could lead to a disaster comparable to Chernobyl. The US has been caught off guard, with some officials downplaying the incident.
Bushehr is Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant and was built by Russia. President Vladimir Putin said Israel had promised Russian workers building more nuclear facilities at Bushehr would be safe. However, Israeli military officials later stated that an attack on the site was not confirmed.
The head of Russia’s state nuclear corporation Rosatom warned of the risks around the plant, stating that a strike on its operational first power unit would be “a catastrophe comparable to Chernobyl.” Russian officials are evacuating some specialists from Bushehr, while hundreds of workers remain on site.
Russia has expressed concern over Israeli attacks on peaceful nuclear facilities and urged Washington against military intervention. Moscow’s ties with Israel are strong, but tensions have been strained by the ongoing conflict in Ukraine.
The US has been criticized for its response to the situation, with some officials downplaying the incident. Mikhail Bogdanov, a Russian deputy foreign minister, said that the consequences of US involvement would be “hard to predict.”
Source: https://www.reuters.com/world/middle-east/russia-warns-strike-irans-bushehr-nuclear-plant-could-cause-chernobyl-style-2025-06-19