Apple Halts Online Sales In Russia Amid Ruble Fluctuations

Apple Tuesday reacted to extreme fluctuations in the value of the Russian ruble by halting its online sales there, shutting off its most direct interface to consumers in the European country.

The decision came as the value of the ruble dropped as much as 19 percent Tuesday, at one point falling below $80 per dollar, according to Bloomberg. This year, the ruble has lost more than half its value compared to the dollar, and many link the currency's decline to the falling price of oil as well as international sanctions placed on Russia for its involvement in Ukraine.

Retailers and carriers are still offering Apple products, but the company's online store was its only direct link to consumers as it does not have any physical stores in Russia.

“Our online store in Russia is currently unavailable while we review pricing,” said Alan Hely, an Apple spokesman, in a statement. “We apologize to customers for any inconvenience.”

This was Apple's second response to the sinking ruble. Last month, the Cupertino company raised the price of the 16-gigabyte iPhone 6 from 31,990 rubles to 39,990 rubles.