Support The Moscow Times!

Russian Missiles Destroy Aircraft Repair Plant in Ukraine's Lviv – Mayor

Smoke rises after an explosion in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv on March 18, 2022. Russian forces on March 18 destroyed an aircraft repair plant in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv. Yuriy Dyachyshyn / AFP


Russian forces on Friday destroyed an aircraft repair plant in the western Ukrainian city of Lviv but no one was hurt, the mayor said.

A thick pall of grey smoke streamed across the clear blue sky over Lviv's airport on Friday morning, an AFP reporter saw, and ambulances raced to the scene.

"Several missiles hit an aircraft repair plant," Mayor Andriy Sadovyi said on the messaging app Telegram, adding the plant had been destroyed.

"There are no casualties," he said, adding that operations at the plant had been halted. 

He earlier wrote that Russian forces had struck an area close to Lviv's airport. 

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

Ukraine's air force, referring to the strike and citing preliminary information, said that six "cruise missiles had been launched, probably X-555, from the Black Sea."

Two missiles had been destroyed, the statement added.

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

Last weekend Russian cruise missiles devastated a military base west of Lviv, killing 35 people and wounding more than 130.

Located 70 kilometers (45 miles) from the border with EU member Poland, the city had largely been spared since Russian forces invaded on Feb. 24.

… we have a small favor to ask.

As you may have heard, The Moscow Times, an independent news source for over 30 years, has been unjustly branded as a "foreign agent" by the Russian government. This blatant attempt to silence our voice is a direct assault on the integrity of journalism and the values we hold dear.

We, the journalists of The Moscow Times, refuse to be silenced. Our commitment to providing accurate and unbiased reporting on Russia remains unshaken. But we need your help to continue our critical mission.

Your support, no matter how small, makes a world of difference. If you can, please support us monthly starting from just 2. It's quick to set up, and you can be confident that you're making a significant impact every month by supporting open, independent journalism. Thank you.

Continue

Read more