Why Apple Removed VK Apps from the App Store — and What It Means for Russian Users

What prompted the removal on June 25, 2026

Apple removed VK apps from the App Store on June 25, 2026, citing compliance with sanctions. In a statement to AFP, Apple said it “complies with the laws of the jurisdictions where it operates” and removed VK from the App Store to align with sanctions requirements . Apple did not disclose the specific sanctioning body in its initial public comments, but the same pattern in September 2022 involved UK sanctions against entities tied to VK's developer accounts .

VK fiercely contested the reasoning. The company said it “has never been subject to US sanctions” and has never appeared on US sanctions lists, adding that it had received no warning or explanation from Apple .

Which apps were affected

The removal swept broadly across VK's ecosystem. The Kyiv Independent confirmed that 16 applications operated by the VK holding company disappeared from the App Store . Reports from multiple outlets identify the following apps as removed :

• VKontakte (the main VK social network app)
• VK Music
• VK Video
• VK Messenger
• VK Dating
• VK Calls
• Mail.ru email app
• Mail.ru Cloud
• Odnoklassniki social network
• Dzen (content platform)
• Youla (classifieds)
• Skillbox (educational platform)

Some apps disappeared in waves. Early on June 25, services like VK Music, VK Messenger, and VK Video vanished first, followed later by the main VKontakte app . Sources confirm the apps were no longer available on the App Store globally, not just in Russia . Users who already had the apps installed could continue using them, but anyone who deleted or lost access could no longer re-download them from the App Store .

How VK and the Kremlin responded

VK called the removals “completely unprompted and unacceptable” and accused Apple of acting without warning or explanation . The company warned iPhone users that they would no longer receive push notifications for its apps .

The Kremlin and Russian authorities demanded an explanation from Apple within hours . Russia's Ministry of Digital Development described the removal as a “politically motivated decision” and argued that Apple failed to provide a valid legal basis for the action. The Ministry said it had not "received a reasoned explanation from Apple regarding any sanctions-related requirements" and asserted that legal reviews by American law firms found no grounds for blocking VK services .

Separately, Russian authorities have been actively encouraging citizens to download and use MAX, a state-supported messaging app built by VK, as an alternative to Western platforms . A 2025 Russian federal law required MAX to be pre-installed on every smartphone sold in Russia .

The broader pattern: Apple caught between sanctions and Kremlin demands

Apple's June 2026 removal of VK apps is the third major episode in an escalating tug-of-war.

Sanctions-driven removals (Western pressure)

• September 2022: Apple removed VK-linked apps from the App Store, citing UK sanctions against entities tied to the developer accounts. Apple terminated the associated developer accounts, stating that the apps were "distributed by developers majority-owned or majority-controlled by one or more parties sanctioned by the UK government" . VK apps were restored about three weeks later after the company provided documentation .
• June 2026: Apple removed the full VK suite again, this time affecting at least 16 apps .

Kremlin-requested removals (Russian pressure)

Apple has simultaneously complied with Russian government directives to remove apps from its Russian App Store, a trend that has accelerated dramatically:

• 2024: Apple removed 25 VPN apps from its Russian App Store following a directive from Roskomnadzor, Russia's communications regulator . Independent tracking later found that Apple had actually removed 98 VPN apps in Russia by September 2024, far more than the official count .
• 2022–2024: Apple's own transparency reports show the company removed 190 apps from its Russian App Store at Roskomnadzor's request over three years — 7 in 2022, 12 in 2023, and 171 in 2024 .
• 2025: The pace exploded. Apple removed 2,045 apps globally at government request in 2025; more than half of those (1,213) were at Russia's direction, making Russia the top country for government-requested removals by a wide margin .

This dual pattern means Apple is both removing Russian apps to comply with Western sanctions and removing apps (mostly VPNs) to comply with Russian censorship demands. The 2026 VK removal is the most prominent sanctions-driven action, while the broader trend of Kremlin-ordered takedowns has shifted from a handful of apps per year to over a thousand annually.

What this means for users

For millions of Russian iPhone users, the practical impact of the June 2026 removal is significant. Apps that were previously downloaded continue to work but cannot be updated or re-downloaded, and push notifications for VK services are no longer supported on iOS . Google's Play Store has not removed VK apps, meaning Android users in Russia remain unaffected .