Five "powerful" Russian missiles hit Lviv today, leaving at least six people dead and eight more injured, in a rare fatal attack in the western Ukrainian city near the border with Poland.

"At the moment we are able to confirm that six are dead and eight injured. A child was among the victims," Maksym Kozytsky, the Lviv regional governor, said on social media.

A Lviv resident told AFP they could see thick clouds of grey smoke in the sky above residential buildings.

"Five powerful missile strikes at once on the civilian infrastructure of the old European city of Lviv," said Mykhaylo Podolyak, a Ukrainian presidential aide.

"The Russians continue barbarically attacking Ukrainian cities from the air, cynically declaring to the whole world their 'right' to kill Ukrainians," he added.

The city has so far been spared much of the fighting since Russia invaded its neighbour nearly two months ago.