Ukraine’s defence ministry has begun its operation to evacuate fighters from the besieged Azovstal steelworks plant

More than 260 have been rescued, with 53 heavily injured fighters taken to a nearby town, held by Russian-backed rebels.

A further 211 have been evacuated using a humanitarian corridor to another rebel-held territory.

Reuters is reporting around a dozen buses carrying Ukrainian fighters who were sheltering below the plant have been leaving the site.

Ukraine’s Deputy Defence Minister Hanna Malyar says some defenders remain at the Azovstal plant and rescue efforts are continuing to be carried out.

While soldiers are being evacuated from Azovstal, upwards of a dozen or more loud explosions have been heard from Lviv city center

Multiple explosions have been heard in the city within several kilometres from the frontline and millions refugees from the Eastern Ukraine.

A senior U.S. defence official says Russian long-range attacks near Lviv appeared to target a Ukrainian military training centre.

Meanwhile, in a translated tweet, the mayor of Lviv says there are explosions but Missiles hitting the city are not confirmed, telling followers that more accurate information will be available in the morning.

He is urging citizens to stay in the bomb shelters and not to ignore air raids.