Apple removes Russia’s VKontakte from App Store

Apple has removed applications belonging to Russian social media giant VK from its App Store, prompting criticism from Russian authorities and calls from the Kremlin for an explanation from the U.S. technology company.

VK, which operates VKontakte, said on Thursday, June 25, that its applications had been removed from the App Store without prior notice. “Apple has removed VK apps from the App Store without warning or explanation. VK Group apps are no longer available for download or updates on Apple devices,” the company said in a statement. “Apple is restricting Russian users’ access to popular services used daily by tens of millions of people, including social networks, messaging apps, video platforms, email, and educational products,” the statement added.

VKontakte, often described as Russia’s equivalent of Facebook, was launched in 2006 and has grown into one of the country’s most widely used social media platforms. The latest move follows Apple’s earlier removal of Max, a state-backed messaging service developed by VK.

Russian authorities have in recent months encouraged citizens to adopt Max, while access to rival messaging platforms such as WhatsApp and Telegram has reportedly faced increasing restrictions, with a number of state institutions shifting communications to the domestic platform.

The Kremlin criticised Apple’s decision, describing the removal of VK applications as unusual. “Our relevant authority will contact the service and demand an explanation,” Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov told reporters. “Naturally, this raises questions about the service’s reliability and the extent to which it can be trusted as a service provider,” he added.

Neither Apple nor VK immediately provided further details on the reasons behind the removal. The decision is likely to intensify scrutiny of technology platforms operating amid growing geopolitical tensions and digital regulation disputes between Russia and Western companies.