Russian forces strike Lviv airport area in west Ukraine: mayor

Russian forces on Friday struck an area around Lviv's airport in western Ukraine, Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said, as grey smoke streamed across the sky and ambulances and police vehicles raced to the scene.

Writing on messaging app Telegram, Sadovyi said he could not give a precise address of the targeted area "but it's definitely not an airport."

A thick pall of grey smoke streamed across clear blue sky over Lviv's airport in western Ukraine at 7:30 am Friday, an AFP reporter saw.


Armed checkpoints turned motorists back from roads leading to the airport, and a local told AFP he had heard a blast earlier Friday.

Lviv is the largest city in western Ukraine and a popular tourist destination known for its picturesque views.

Located 70 kilometres (45 miles) from the border with Poland, it has largely escaped military strikes from Russian forces in the past.