Russia “launched an air strike on the International Centre for Peacekeeping and Security”, head of the Lviv regional administration, Maxim Kozitsky, said on his verified Facebook page.

The military base in Yavoriv, located some 40km northwest of Lviv, was a training centre for Ukrainian forces with foreign instructors, including from the US and Canada.

It was also a hub for joint exercises of Ukrainians soldier with Nato allies.

Foreign troops left Ukraine shortly before Russian launched an invasion of its neighbour on Feb 24.

Kozitsky added that eight missiles were fired at the military base.

Ukraine’s Air Force Command West said on Facebook two cruise missiles coming from the southeast, “probably from the waters of the Sea of Azov or the Black Sea”, were destroyed by air defence systems.

There was no information about casualties.

Many Ukrainians have fled to relative safety in Lviv since the launch of Russia’s invasion.

A short drive from EU member Poland, the city is also a transit hub for those leaving Ukraine.

Separately, the mayor of Ivano-Frankivsk in western Ukraine said the city’s airport was targeted in a strike.

“According to preliminary information, this morning’s explosions were from an attack on the airport,” mayor Ruslan Martsinkiv said on Facebook.

Washington yesterday authorised US$200 million in additional military equipment for Ukraine.

Russia the same day warned that its troops could target supplies of western weapons to Ukraine.

The US said on Feb 12 that it withdrew 150 of its instructors from Ukraine, without specifying where they were posted or what the total number of US trainers.