Apple suspends online sales in Russia due to ruble depreciation

Apple has temporarily stopped selling its products in the Russian Apple Store. The online store is said to have been closed due to the sharp fall in the ruble’s value. Apple has already raised its prices for the Russian market several times.

The Russian Apple Store is currently showing a message stating that the online store is temporarily closed. Apple wants to capitalize on the rapidly declining ruble, an Apple spokesperson told Bloomberg news agency. It is unclear when the Russian Apple Store will open its doors again.

The Russian ruble has fallen into freefall against the dollar and the euro: within a year, the currency has depreciated by half. The sharp fall in value of the Russian currency has already forced Apple to raise the ruble price for its products. For example, the iPhone 6 became 25 percent more expensive in a period of a few months.