A fire has been reported in the area of the cargo port located outside the perimeter of the Russian occupied Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, Ukraine's Ministry of Energy announced on August 12, Ukrinform reported.

Smoke was spotted near the cargo port of the facility, which is currently under Russian occupation. The exact location of the fire and its potential impact remain under investigation, according to ministry officials.

"We emphasise that the cargo port is located outside the plant's protected perimeter," the Ministry of Energy said in a Telegram statement.

The ministry noted that the incident highlights ongoing threats posed by Russia's occupation of Europe's largest nuclear facility. Officials warned that any provocations or military actions at the Zaporizhzhia NPP industrial site could lead to unpredictable and catastrophic consequences for the entire continent.

The fire report follows damage to the External Crisis Centre of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant caused by Russian strikes on Zaporizhzhia on August 10.

The six-reactor Zaporizhzhia plant has been under Russian control since March 2022, though it continues to be operated by Ukrainian staff. The facility has been the subject of repeated safety concerns throughout the conflict, with both sides accusing each other of attacks on the site.

The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA), the UN nuclear watchdog, has maintained a permanent presence at the plant to monitor safety conditions and has repeatedly called for establishing a protection zone around the facility.

The plant, which provided about 20% of Ukraine's electricity before the war, has been operating in cold shutdown mode with most reactors offline for safety reasons since the Russian occupation began.

Previous incidents at the site have included damage to power lines, cooling systems, and other critical infrastructure, raising concerns about potential nuclear accidents.