Overview
- Apple removed multiple VK products from the App Store on Thursday, including Odnoklassniki, Zen, Mail.ru, VK Dating, Music, Messenger, Mail, VK Video and Skillbox while VKontakte remained available.
- VK said the removals were made without warning, stressed the company itself is not on sanctions lists, and warned that iPhone users will stop receiving push notifications for the affected apps.
- The Russian Ministry of Digital Development called the move politically motivated and demanded a reasoned explanation from Apple, and Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov urged an explanation and advised users to switch operating systems.
- The affected apps remain available on Google Play and other stores, previously installed iOS versions keep working for now, and Apple had not issued a public comment as of the latest reports.
- The action follows a pattern of Apple scaling back services in Russia since 2022, including earlier temporary removals of VK apps and a recent removal of the state-backed Max messenger, and comes after Russia cut mobile-bill payments for Apple ID in April.