On 25 June, Apple removed the entire suite of VK applications from the Russian App Store without prior notice, rendering them unavailable for download or update and disabling push notifications for existing users. The affected services—including the social network VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Mail.ru, and content platform Zen—are used daily by tens of millions of Russians. VK's Moscow-listed shares fell as much as 4.93% on the news, before paring losses to close 4.06% lower.

Apple offered no public explanation for the delisting. VK stated it has never been subject to sanctions and provided legal opinions to Apple confirming this, though the company's CEO, Vladimir Kiriyenko, is under US, EU and British sanctions. The move follows the removal of Russia's state-backed messenger Max earlier in June, which Apple attributed to sanctions compliance. Viewed from Cupertino, the action appears to extend a pattern of restricting Russian digital services, though the precise trigger remains opaque.

The Kremlin responded sharply. Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said Russian agencies would demand explanations and, if none were forthcoming, would “draw conclusions about continuing any interaction with this company.” He advised users to switch to Android or domestic operating systems. The Ministry of Digital Development labelled the removal a “politically motivated decision” and an act of unfair competition, arguing Apple was protecting foreign platforms being displaced by Russian alternatives. The ministry also noted Apple's own non-compliance with Russian laws requiring the pre-installation of the RuStore app marketplace and a default search-engine choice screen.

Moscow has signalled potential countermeasures. The ministry asked the Federal Antimonopoly Service to investigate, while lawmakers have previously proposed legislation to mandate RuStore pre-installation on Apple devices, with penalties including turnover-based fines or a sales ban. Separately, a Moscow court fined Apple 500,000 roubles for repeated violations of internet data-storage rules, underscoring the regulatory pressure. Some users reported difficulties accessing the App Store itself, which the independent outlet Dozhd linked to Roskomnadzor blocking part of Apple's authorisation traffic.

The immediate question is whether Apple will provide the demanded clarifications. The episode deepens the decoupling of Russia's digital ecosystem from Western platforms, accelerating the state's push for technological sovereignty. For now, previously installed VK apps continue to function, but the loss of updates and notifications erodes the user experience on iOS, potentially driving a shift toward Android devices and Russian app stores.