Uncategorized

Apple removes Russian VK, Mail.ru apps from App Store

1 min read
Apple removes Russian VK, Mail.ru apps from App Store
An illuminated VK logo inside the VK Company Ltd. office in Moscow on Jan. 19, 2022. (Andrey Rudkov / Bloomberg via Getty Images)

As of Sept. 28, Russia's popular homegrown social network VK (formerly VKontakte) and email service Mail.ru are no longer available for download on the App Store in any country.

In a statement, Apple cited conflicts with British sanctions as the reason for the removal. Apps that are already downloaded can continue to be used, according to Apple.

In response, Russia's Digital Affairs Ministry said it was "investigating the reasons" for the removal.

The VK apps are still available on Google’s Play Store.

Apple stopped selling its products in Russia when the full-scale invasion was launched in February 2022, but Russians are still able to purchase them through unlicensed importers. VK, Mail.ru, Yandex, and many websites with the .ru domain have been banned in Ukraine since 2017.

Avatar
The Kyiv Independent news desk

We are the news team of the Kyiv Independent. We are here to make sure our readers get quick, essential updates about the events in Ukraine. Feel free to contact us via email with feedback and news alerts.

Read more
News Feed

"We will send them Patriots, which they desperately need, because (Russian President Vladimir) Putin really surprised a lot of people. He talks nice and then bombs everybody in the evening," U.S. President Donald Trump said on July 13.

Video

In the latest episode of Ukraine This Week, the Kyiv Independent’s Anna Belokur breaks down a recent string of mysterious deaths and arrests among Russia’s elite, as well as and explains the implications Russia’s invasion of Ukraine could have for a future conflict between China and Taiwan. Also in this episode: The U.S. resumes some military aid to Ukraine after an abrupt halt by the Defense Department last week.

Show More