Tech giant Apple has said they have halted all product sales to Russia following the invasion of Ukraine.
This means that as it stands, Russians will no longer be able to purchase new items such as iPhones and Apple computers. Apple has also said that it is removing Russian state-backed tv networks such as RT (formerly Russia Today) and Sputnik from its App store.
Apple is just one of hundreds of companies to state they will no longer do business with Russia. Major film studios such as Paramount and 20th Century Fox have declared that they will no longer release films in Russia, and Netflix has removed Russian state news from its streaming service (a requirement of operating in the country).
Apple said in a statement:
"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."
"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 relevant governments on the actions we are taking. We join all those around the world who are calling for peace."
Since the invasion of Ukraine by Russia, the largest military offensive in Europe since the Second World War, the Russian financial and business sector has come under extremely strict sanctions. Including the Russian central bank being banned from raising funds in other nations. This has caused the Russian currency, the rouble, to collapse in value and fears of hyperinflation and banking collapse to arise in the country. Russia has also been removed from SWIFT system which processes international electronic payments.
[Based on reporting by: Sky News]
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