iPhone maker imposes freelance sanctions on the pariah state in move that Ukraine hopes will anger young people and drive more protests against invasion
Apple has paused all product sales in Russia in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.
The move comes after Mykhailo Fedorov, Ukraine’s digital minister, sent a letter to Apple CEO Tim Cook, pleading with him to suspend all sales and services in Russia, including the App Store.
Apple confirmed on Tuesday that it was moving to halt Russian sales, which Fedorov said he hopes will infuriate younger Russians and motivate them to protest against the ongoing invasion of Ukraine.
‘We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region.’
The company outlined a number of actions in response to the invasion, including stopping all exports into its sales channels in the country.
Apple Pay and other services have been limited, the company said.
The Russian state media, RT News and Sputnik News, are no longer available for download from the Apple Store outside Russia.
On Tuesday, users in Russia were still able to access Apple’s online store but attempts to buy an iPhone showed that they were not available for delivery.
Developing story, more to follow.