@JackDaniels3 and
@Komplement and anyone else claiming that this is a logistics issue.
Assuming that UPS is Apple's preferred partner for such releases, they have had regular flights to Dubai and Köln, so how on earth is this a logistics issue? Quite frankly the logistics system is quite well developed in the EU just because there are so many more regional hubs and regular transportation between those hubs.
To put a final nail in the coffin in this 'logistics' argument, if it was logistics then the orders would be stuck in P4S or Shipped, not Processing. So please, we all love Apple but let's be honest where it's needed, like several releases over the past two years, Apple has botched the release, only this time it tried to mitigate the damage through regional favouritism.