Apple halts product sales in Russia

Steps up sanctions on Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.

Apple, which had already stopped all hardware exports to Russia last week, has now also stopped sales on the Apple Store.

In a statement shared with The Verge and others, Apple said it is deeply concerned about Russia's invasion of Ukraine, supports humanitarian efforts, and is working to help its own employees in the region.

"With each new image of families fleeing their homes and brave citizens fighting for their lives," Cook wrote, "we see how important it is for people around the world to come together to advance the cause of peace."

The CEO added that the company has paused all product sales in Russia, and emphasised that this was only the latest in a growing set of sanctions and safety measures imposed on the nation.

"Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country," he noted. "Apple Pay and other services have been limited. RT News and Sputnik News are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia. And we have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens."

This article originally appeared on Macworld Sweden. Translation (using DeepL) and additional reporting by David Price.