MOSCOW -- Russia’s Rosatom plans to increase the number of Russian specialists working at Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant to 700, as construction of two additional reactor units continues. 
The announcement comes months after the Russian state-owned nuclear corporation evacuated hundreds of staff following the U.S.-Israeli war on Iran.
Alexey Likhachev, director general of Russia’s state-owned Atomic Energy Corporation, confirmed the plan to increase the Russian workforce at the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, noting that construction of Units 2 and 3 is continuing.
“We will increase the planned number to 700,” he told Interfax, noting that 142 personnel are currently working at the construction site, with another 50 involved in service operations.
“Of course, everything depends very much on the military situation. If there are any escalations, we will slow the buildup, at a minimum. But right now, we are assuming that we will increase it,” the Rosatom chief stressed.
When asked about a possible evacuation from the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, Likhachev dismissed the prospect, asking, “Why evacuate when we are increasing the number of personnel?”
The Rosatom chief said the situation at Iran’s Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant is calm and confirmed that the company is preparing to increase the number of Russian specialists working at the facility.
In March, Rosatom evacuated hundreds of staff after the United States and Israel launched their war on Iran on February 28.
However, Likhachev emphasized that the increase in personnel would depend heavily on the military situation in the region, stressing that in the event of a possible escalation of tensions, Rosatom might slow the deployment of additional personnel.
“Of course, everything depends heavily on the military situation. If it escalates, we will at least reduce the pace of increasing our workforce. But for now, we are moving ahead with plans to increase personnel,” he said.
Likhachev also confirmed that Russia and Iran have signed 
agreements for the construction of eight additional nuclear power units in Iran, reiterating plans that form part of the two countries’ broader nuclear energy cooperation.
“We have signed agreements to build eight more units, and in the autumn, an agreement was signed to build small-scale power units in Iran,” he said, according to Russia’s TASS news agency.
Last year, Likhachev noted that the company was planning to construct two nuclear power units, each with a capacity of 1,000 megawatts, adjacent to the first unit of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant, adding that construction was progressing.
Russia and Iran signed a contract for the construction of the first unit of the Bushehr Nuclear Power Plant in 1995. The 1,000-megawatt facility started operating in 2011.
In 2014, Russia and Iran signed another deal for the construction of two new reactors at Bushehr, with a combined capacity of about 2,100 megawatts.
The ongoing construction of Units 2 and 3 is part of the expansion of Iran’s nuclear power infrastructure, while the agreements for eight additional units and small-scale power plants reflect the broader scope of nuclear cooperation between Tehran and Moscow.