Apple Removes VKontakte and Odnoklassniki From App Store Under Sanctions Pressure.

VK Apps Pulled From Apple's App Store

According to Espreso.tv: Apple has removed key services owned by the VK holding company—including VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, VK Messenger, VK Music, VK Video, Mail.ru, Zen, and Skillbox—citing sanctions laws. The move stems from the fact that VK's CEO, Vladimir Kiriyenko, is currently under sanctions imposed by the United States, the European Union, and the United Kingdom. As a result, users who already have these apps installed can no longer receive push notifications.

According to VK, the apps were deleted without any prior warning or explanation. Moscow responded to Apple's decision but offered no specific details. Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described the move as "strange," adding that if Apple fails to provide an explanation, Russia will have to draw conclusions about future cooperation with the company. He also suggested that affected users could "simply switch to Android."

“Apple’s decision is strange”

Broader Tech Industry Trends

This is not the first time Apple has removed Russian apps from the App Store. In early June 2023, the company also took down the Russian state-run messenger Max. Notably, by June 2026, many Russians had begun acquiring a second phone and installing VPN services—after the five most popular VPN apps were downloaded 9.2 million times from Google Play.

The removal of VK apps from the App Store highlights the ongoing escalation of sanctions targeting Russian technology companies. This decision not only impacts existing users of these services but may also drive them to seek alternatives, such as Android devices or VPN tools. The situation reflects a broader trend in the tech industry, where companies are increasingly forced to adapt to shifting international relations and evolving sanctions regimes.