Ukraine Shoots Down Nearly 80 Percent of Russia's Missile Barrage: Report

The Ukrainian Air Force said on Friday that it shot down 60 incoming Russian missiles, some of which successfully struck various cities and killed multiple citizens in the Eastern European country.

Commander-in-Chief of the Ukrainian Armed Forces Valerii Zaluzhnyi confirmed on Twitter that among the 76 missiles launched by Russia at critical Ukrainian infrastructure, 72 of them were cruise missiles while four were guided air-to-surface missiles. Missiles launched as of 1 p.m. Kyiv time included Kh-101, Kh-55, and sea-based "Kalibr" missiles.

"Missile terror will not force us to lay down weapons," Zaluzhnyi wrote.

Meanwhile, the Ukrainian Ministry of Foreign Affairs (MFA), which called Russia "a terrorist state," tweeted that a missile hit a residential building in Kryvyi Rih, killing two people and injuring eight—including three children.

"For each Russian missile or drone aimed at Ukraine and Ukrainians there must be a howitzer delivered to Ukraine, a tank for Ukraine, an armored vehicle for Ukraine," tweeted Dmytro Kuleba, head of the MFA. "This would effectively end Russian terror against Ukraine and restore peace and security in Europe and beyond."

Kryvyi Rih is the hometown of Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelensky. Ukrainian first lady Olena Zelenska tweeted that Friday "began with massive ru–shelling of the entire country."

"Ukraine is clenching its fists, but it is holding on and will win," she added.

Meanwhile, Reuters reported that the mayor of Kharkiv, Ukraine's second largest city, said that there was "colossal" damage that threatened residents' well-being in freezing temperatures. In addition, the governor of Dnipro also reported "serious damage."

Maria Avdeeva, research director at the European Expert Association in Ukraine, tweeted photos and videos of the inoperable Kyiv metro station that was expected to be out of service for the entire day.

"I woke up to the sounds of explosions in the air," Yuliia Herasymenko, a Ukrainian businesswoman living in Kyiv, told Newsweek. "Our anti-missiles systems were working so I heard all these sounds."

The woman added that she also heard numerous missiles flying above her house, accompanied by sounds of weapons.

"But still in other cities in Ukraine the infrastructure is destroyed again so we'll have a lot of work again," she said. "No matter what we are all very motivated and strong even though terrorists want us to give up spiritually and emotionally. They'll lose."

The United States is reportedly sending an undetermined amount of Patriot missile defense system batteries to Ukraine so forces can further protect their airspace. Attacks targeting Ukrainian infrastructure was recently promised by Russian President Vladimir Putin to continue even as Ukrainians lose power, water and heat.

Continued attacks put the entire nation's power grid in peril.

Newsweek reached out to the Ukrainian and Russian defense ministries for comment.