A fire erupted on Monday at Moscow's Luzhniki Stadium, which is undergoing construction work in preparation for it to host the 2018 World Cup final.
Officials said the fire, which sent a plume of black smoke billowing above the location in central Moscow, damaged construction materials just outside the stadium and could have been caused by a discarded cigarette or a spark from construction work, state media reported.
Russian Sports Minister Vitaly Mutko said the fire did not damage the stadium. No injuries were reported.
Russia is building or upgrading a dozen stadiums across 11 cities as part of preparations for the 2018 World Cup. Russia's budget for the games is about 10 billion euros (11.2 billion dollars).
