Apple suspends product sales in Russia

By Tuba Sahin

ANKARA (AA) - Apple has paused product sales in Russia while limiting Apple Pay and other services in the country due to the war on Ukraine.

According to a statement from the company Tuesday, Russian state-run media RT News and Sputnik News’ mobile apps are no longer available for download from the App Store outside Russia.

"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," it noted.

The company underscored its support for humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis.

Last week, it had stopped all exports into its sales channel in Russia.

"And we have disabled both traffic and live incidents in Apple Maps in Ukraine as a safety and precautionary measure for Ukrainian citizens," it added.

The move came after a number of countries including the UK, Canada, Japan, the US and in the European Union implemented a range of economic sanctions on Moscow.

At least 136 civilians in Ukraine have been killed, including 13 children, and 400 others injured, including 26 children, according to UN figures.

Around 660,000 people have fled Ukraine to neighboring countries, the international body said Tuesday.