Morning news brief: Putin sanctions, Russia limits access to Facebook, and more

To get your day started, here are some stories.

The US, the EU, the UK have sanctioned Russian President Vladimir Putin and othertop officials.Russia has partially limitedaccess to Facebookfor 'censoring' domestic media.Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said thatRussia will try to crush our defence in a treacherous way.

Finally, the West has intensified efforts to halt Russian attack on Ukraine. The US government and European countries have imposed sanctions on Russian President Vladimir Putin and Foreign Minister Sergei Lavrov on Friday.

With accusation of "censoring" domestic media, Russian government on Friday said that it was partially limiting access to Meta Platforms Inc's Facebook.

As Russia continued its assault on Ukraine, Ukraine's President Volodymyr Zelensky said, "I have to say absolutely openly. This night will be more difficult than the day. Many cities of our state are under attack."

Smoke and flames rise over a building during shelling near Kyiv as Russia continues its bombing operation in Ukraine.

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