Apple to stop and limit its services in Russia

Apple announced Tuesday a halt in all product sales in Russia, the latest fallout over Moscow’s invasion of Ukraine.

The iPhone giant said it was “deeply concerned” about the Russian invasion and stands with those “suffering as a result of the violence”.

Apple Pay and other services such as Apple Maps have also been limited.

“We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country,” said an Apple statement.

Google has also removed Russian state-funded publishers such as RT from its features.

Mobile banking apps in Russian, such as Russia’s VTB Bank’s app, may soon not function fully on devices using Apple’s iOS operating system, according to news agency RIA.

Ukraine’s defiant government, which has urged its people to battle Russian forces, has asked for help from all quarters, including Apple’s CEO Tim Cook.

“I appeal to you… to stop supplying Apple services and products to the Russian Federation, including blocking access to the Apple Store!” Ukraine’s digital minister Mykhailo Fedorov wrote in a letter he posted to Twitter Friday.

Author

• Mehr Ali

  Mehr Ali is a journalist, photographer, and football player.