Apple says it halts all product sales in Russia

FILE PHOTO: The Apple Inc. logo is seen in the lobby of New York City's flagship Apple store January 18, 2011. REUTERS/Mike Segar

(Reuters) -Apple Inc said on Tuesday it has paused all product sales in Russia in response to the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

"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," Apple said in a statement. "We are supporting humanitarian efforts, providing aid for the unfolding refugee crisis, and doing all we can to support our teams in the region."

The company outlined a number of actions in response to the invasion, including stopping all exports into its sales channels in the country. Apple Pay and other services have been limited, the company said. The Russian state media, RT News and Sputnik News, are no longer available for download from the Apple Store outside Russia.

On Tuesday, users in Russia were still able to access Apple's online store but attempts to buy an iPhone showed that they were not available for delivery.

(Reporting by Dawn Chmielewski in Los Angeles, Chris Sanders in Washington and by Reuters Moscow bureauEditing by Leslie Adler and Matthew Lewis)