Russian Apple Online Store Closed Over Ruble Fluctuations

A certain number of economic sanctions have been placed on Russia in the past year following its decision to annex Crimea. This has of course led to a number of issues with the Russian economy, such as the recent and “extreme” fluctuations in the country’s currency. As a result, Apple has effectively closed its online store in the country. The company took the decision yesterday following what it described in a statement to Bloomberg as “extremely sharp” fluctuations in the currency.

“Our online store in Russia is currently unavailable while we review pricing,” Alan Hely, a spokesman for the Cupertino, California-based company, said today in an e-mailed statement. “We apologize to customers for any inconvenience.”

Just before the site was shuttered, Russians could buy and iPhone 6 for 39990 rubles, equivalent to $558. This shows just how extreme the fluctuations have been, with the same device available for $876 in the United States. At time of writing, Apple has not yet re-opened its store, with no indication of when products will again be available for sale.

Source: MacRumors