The Russian ruble lost as much as 19 percent of its value on Tuesday, partly because of Western sanctions and plummeting oil prices, but also because of mass panic. Russians of all stripes—traders, car buyers, and furniture shoppers—are clamoring to get their money out of the country. The hysteria has turned a slow-burning problem into a nightmare, and has also led some unexpected things to happen, both in Russia and elsewhere. A few odd side effects of Russia's currency horrors:
1. Apple stopped selling its products online in Russia. The ruble’s extreme ups and downs led the company to shut down its online store in the country. “Our online store in Russia is currently unavailable while we review pricing,” Apple said in an e-mailed statement. In November, the company upped the Russian price of an iPhone 6 by 25 percent.
