MOSCOW - A civilian was killed near the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant amid Ukrainian shelling of a nearby industrial zone, the plant's operator said Saturday.

"As a result of artillery shelling by the Ukrainian Armed Forces in the area of the Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, a fire broke out in the industrial zone. During a site inspection, a damaged civilian passenger vehicle, unrelated to the plant's operations, was discovered. To our deep regret, a deceased civilian was found inside the vehicle," the operator said in a post on social media Telegram.

While firefighters worked to extinguish the fire, a fire truck was targeted by a Ukrainian drone, according to the post.

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The International Atomic Energy Agency (IAEA) said in a statement that its experts stationed at the power plant heard explosions and observed smoke on Saturday coming from a location 1.2 kilometers from the plant's site perimeter.

"Once again, I call for maximum military restraint near nuclear facilities to prevent the continued risk of a nuclear accident," said IAEA Director General Rafael Grossi.

The Zaporizhzhia Nuclear Power Plant, located in southern Ukraine, is Europe's largest nuclear power facility.

READ MORE: Russia, Ukraine trade blame over attack on IAEA vehicle

Meanwhile, Russian air defense forces destroyed and intercepted 41 Ukrainian drones in multiple regions in less than four hours on Saturday, the Russian Ministry of Defense reported late Saturday.

The drones were downed between 8 pm and 11:25 pm Moscow time by air defense systems on duty, the statement said.