Washington, February 27: Russia invaded Ukraine on Thursday and is carrying out military strikes across multiple cities, including capital Kiev, which has resulted in the death of many innocent civilians.

World leaders have condemned the invasion and the US said sanctions and other economic penalties on Russia would continue to escalate if the crisis does not cease.

As Russia’s invasion of Ukraine worsens, officials in the US, UK and the European Union are discussing further sanctions and other moves to target propaganda groups and people with huge audiences on the platform. Russia-Ukraine War: Russian Forces Blow Up Gas Pipeline in Kharkiv

As the crisis in Ukraine intensifies, social media companies have been scrambling to rein in misinformation and Russian state propaganda. Several social media platforms Like Google, Meta, Twitter and Youtube has demonetised Russian ads amid pressure from social media activists.  Russia-Ukraine War: US President Joe Biden Signs Memorandum For Military Aid to Ukraine As Russian Forces Close in on Kyiv

Facebook, on Friday said that it was prohibiting Russian state media from running ads or making money off its platform, worldwide, as the invasion of Ukraine intensifies. The announcement was met with approval from some while others questioned why the social media site wasn't doing more.

Facebook's head of security policy said it was applying labels to content from Russian state media in addition to demonetising.

A YouTube spokesperson said the company has removed hundreds of channels and thousands of videos over the past few days, including channels for coordinated deceptive practices. YouTube said Saturday that it will temporarily halt the ability of a number of Russian channels, including state-sponsored RT, to monetize their content on the platform.

It will also be "significantly limiting" recommendations to those channels, YouTube said in a statement. It is also restricting access to some of these channels in Ukraine.

Twitter, which banned advertising from state-controlled media in 2019, also took action, saying on Friday it was temporarily pausing all ads in Ukraine and Russia "to ensure critical public safety information is elevated and ads don't detract from it."

Google on Sunday barred Russia's state-owned media outlet RT and other channels from receiving money for ads on their websites, apps and YouTube videos, similar to a move by Facebook after the invasion of Ukraine.

These responses from the social media giants comes in response to Russian President Vladimir Putin authorizing a full-scale attack on Ukraine on Thursday, involving launching airstrikes across the country and pushing forces into the country's capital of Kyiv.

(The above story first appeared on LatestLY on Feb 27, 2022 12:21 PM IST. For more news and updates on politics, world, sports, entertainment and lifestyle, log on to our website latestly.com).