14 DAY TRIAL // Apple is the latest big name that pulls from Russia after the invasion of Ukraine, with the company announcing today that it’s suspending all sales in the country indefinitely.
The Cupertino-based tech giant says it would no longer export any devices to Russia, and in addition, the information displayed on Apple Maps would be updated to no longer include traffic and live incidents in Ukraine.
At the same time, Apple says it has removed some Russian apps from the App Store, while Apple Pay now comes with a series of limitations in Russia.
Apps banned from the App Store
“We are deeply concerned about the Russian invasion of Ukraine and stand with all of the people who are suffering as a result of the violence. We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region,” Apple said.
“We have taken a number of actions in response to the invasion. We have paused all product sales in Russia. Last week, we stopped all exports into our sales channel in the country. 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. We will continue to evaluate the situation and are in communication with the relevant governments on the actions we are taking. We join all those around the world who are calling for peace.”
The announcement doesn’t come as a big surprise, especially as several other companies have turned to similar decisions following Russia’s invasion of Ukraine.
The Ukraine vice prime minister himself reached out to Apple to request a full sales ban in Russia, all as a sanction for the country starting the war the entire world is now keeping an eye on.