In the evening of October 22, 2026, reports emerged about the arrival of several Russian military transport aircraft at the airbase in Bushehr, Iran. Iranian Telegram channels speculated that Moscow delivered military cargo. The next day, another version arose: the planes might have arrived to pick up Russian specialists from the nuclear power plant.
Author: Pavel Shveiko
What actually happened in Bushehr is still unknown. But this story has details that allow separating confirmed facts from assumptions.
What Iranian sources reported
According to the Telegram channel KhabarFuri, Russian planes landed at the 6th tactical airbase in Bushehr. The information also appeared on Liveuamap.
On October 23, the publication The Siasat Daily, citing The Hormuz Report, reported on the possible evacuation of Russian nuclear plant staff. Among the alleged participants in the operation was the transport Il-76TD, which arrived from Novosibirsk.
However, the registration numbers of the planes, confirmed routes of the October flights, and information about the transported cargo have not been publicly presented.
Why the version with Il-76 requires verification
Russian cargo planes have appeared in Bushehr before. On September 1, Iranian media reported the arrival of an Il-76TD after a flight through Yekaterinburg. Novosibirsk was also mentioned then, and the contents of the cargo remained unknown.
This does not refute the reports from October 22-23. But without new tracking data, it is impossible to determine whether the sources are describing truly new flights.
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What is happening at the nuclear station
Bushehr is a port city on the coast of the Persian Gulf. It is home to Iran’s only operational nuclear power plant, built with Russian participation. The first power unit was already generating electricity, and two more are under construction.
After the start of the war between Israel and the USA with Iran in February 2026, “Rosatom” evacuated hundreds of employees. Then specialists began to return.
On October 12, the Russian side reported 135 specialists working in Bushehr. And on October 16, the head of “Rosatom,” Alexey Likhachev, spoke about the intention to increase their number to 200.
Thus, reports of a new evacuation currently contradict Moscow’s recently announced plans. There is no official confirmation of the October personnel withdrawal.
Why this concerns Israel and Ukraine
For Israel, the question is whether Iran is receiving additional Russian military assistance amid the ongoing confrontation.
For Ukraine, the connection is also direct: Tehran previously supplied Russia with Shahed technologies and drones used against Ukrainian cities. NANews has already written about Russian financial support for Iran circumventing sanction restrictions.
Pavel Shveiko: It cannot yet be asserted that Russia delivered weapons to Bushehr. But reports of several military transport aircraft require verification — primarily by registration numbers, routes, and purposes of the flights. Without this data, any version remains just a version.