Ukrainian official says Kyiv hit with missiles, videos show air defense

The Ukrainian capital of Kyiv is facing missile strikes, and citizens are being encouraged by the Internal Affairs Ministry to volunteer as firefighters, while video has surfaced showing a hail of firey debris falling down from the sky.

Reports are surfacing that Kyiv is being hit with missiles as Russian President Vladimir Putin's aggression escalates against Ukraine. Some civillians have even taken to the metro in the capital to shelter from Russian artillery and missiles.

Video of debris raining down on Kyiv was posted online before 5 a.m. local time.

"Strikes on Kyiv with cruise or ballistic missiles continued," Ministry of Internal Affairs advisor Anton Gerashchenko told reporters, according to CNN.

"Bravo to the Ukrainian Air Force!" Gerashchenko posted on Facebook, shortly before 5 a.m. 

"Explosions were the strikes of our air force on enemy planes or drones!" he celebrated, as translated by Facebook. "According to operational information, the enemy aircraft was hit by the forces of the Ukrainian Air Force and fell." 

It is unclear whether the Russian planes were the only objects to be shot out of the sky Friday morning, nor is it known exactly how the target or targets were shot down.

Ukraine attempted last week to purchase the Iron Dome missile defense system from Israel, which turned down the deal, YNet reports.

Less than an hour later, Gerashchenko posted requesting journalists to go to a 9-story building on fire in the city. 

"Probably a lot of casualties among the civilians!" he wrote. "Urgently show this barbarism of Putin to the whole world!"

The adviser said that victims are being transported to hospitals and a casualty number will be released shortly.

A CNN team in Kyiv reported hearing two large explosions in the city and a third blast in the distance around the same time Gerashchenko posted on Facebook.