The city of Lviv in western Ukraine, which has been spared frequent fighting, has been hit by five Russian missile strikes today, according to the city’s mayor and presidential adviser.

A resident of the southwestern Lviv area, which is rarely attacked, told AFP he saw thick smoke billowing into the sky behind the apartment buildings. City Mayor Andrei Sadovy said rescue teams were visiting the site.

Maxim Kositsky, head of the Lviv regional military administration, was quoted by Interfax news agency as saying that 4 Russian missiles had hit target sites in Lviv.

On March 18, the city mayor announced that areas around Lviv airport in western Ukraine had been hit by Russian missiles.

“Several missiles hit the aircraft repair factory. The building was destroyed by missiles,” Sadowi said at the time, explaining that “the factory had already stopped working so there were no casualties.”

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