The Kremlin has formally asked Apple to explain the unexplained removal of several apps linked to Russian internet group VK from the App Store. VK says the apps were taken down without warning and stresses the company itself is not under U.S. sanctions. Moscow warned it may reassess cooperation with Apple if no satisfactory answers are provided and encouraged users to shift to Android, while continuing to promote domestic services such as the state-backed MAX messenger.
Kremlin Demands Answers After Apple Removes VK Apps From App Store
FILE PHOTO: Apple's logo at its store in Paris
The Kremlin on Thursday demanded an explanation from Apple after several mobile applications linked to Russian internet group VK were removed from the U.S. tech giant's App Store without warning, officials said.
VK, a major Russian internet company with state ties, said the apps were taken down "without warning or explanation" and emphasised that the company itself is not subject to U.S. sanctions. Apple did not immediately respond to requests for comment.
"Through its actions, Apple is restricting Russian users' access to popular services used by tens of millions of people every day: social networks, messaging apps, video platforms, email and educational products," VK said in a statement.
Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian authorities would "address the matter directly with the corporation itself and demand an explanation." He added that if Apple fails to provide satisfactory answers, Moscow would "draw conclusions accordingly regarding the continuation of any cooperation with this company."
Peskov also suggested that Russians upset by the removals could switch to Android devices, where VK's apps remain available.
Context: Wider Push For Domestic Tech
The removals come amid Russia's broader effort since 2022 to tighten control over foreign technology platforms and promote domestic services. The government has actively encouraged the adoption of homegrown apps — including MAX, a state-backed messenger developed by VK that now ships pre-installed on many phones and tablets sold in Russia.
VK's services are widely used: its video hosting platform recorded about 42.2 million daily users in January, according to Mediascope. VKontakte, the company's flagship social network, remains one of Russia's most popular platforms, and the company's messenger ranks among the country's most-used apps.
Sanctions And Leadership
While VK as a company is not under Western sanctions, its chief executive, Vladimir Kiriyenko, has been sanctioned by the European Union, Britain and the United States. His father, Sergei Kiriyenko, is President Vladimir Putin's first deputy chief of staff — a relationship that Western sanctions listings have highlighted in recent years.
The Kremlin's demand for an explanation underscores growing tensions between Russian authorities and Western tech companies, and highlights Moscow's continued push to bolster domestic digital infrastructure and reduce reliance on foreign platforms.
Reporting by Dmitry Antonov; Writing by Lucy Papachristou; Editing by Gleb Bryanski and Tomasz Janowski.
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