The company said it had taken the action of globally disabling the Google Maps traffic layer and live information on how busy places like stores and restaurants are in Ukraine for the safety of local communities in the country, after consulting with sources including regional authorities.

Ukraine is facing attacks from Russian forces who invaded the country on Thursday. As missiles fell on Ukrainian cities, nearly 400,000 civilians, mainly women and children, have fled into neighbouring countries. read more

Russia calls its actions in Ukraine a "special operation".

Big tech companies including Google have said they are taking new measures to protect users' security in the region.

Online services and social media sites have also been tapped by researchers piecing together activity around the war.