Kremlin urges Android switch after Apple removes Russian apps
Apple has removed Max and VKontakte from its Russian App Store, drawing complaints from the Kremlin and VK Group.
By Hana Yoshida · Markets Reporter
3 min read
Apple has made two widely used Russian apps unavailable through its App Store in Russia, cutting off new iPhone downloads of the Max messaging app and VKontakte. The move matters because it has drawn a public response from the Kremlin, which is now urging users to rely on Android and Russian app distribution channels instead.
The Moscow Times reported that Max was removed from Apple’s App Store in the first week of June. VKontakte, the social network operated by VK Group, was removed on June 25, according to reports cited by The Moscow Times and Yahoo News.
Existing installations of the apps can still run, according to Ars Technica, but Apple has stopped push notifications for them. That limits their usefulness for messaging, social networking and other time-sensitive services on iPhones.
Kremlin asks Apple for an explanation
Kremlin spokesperson Dmitry Peskov said the Russian government wants Apple to explain why VK apps were removed, The Moscow Times reported. A Russian Telegram channel that publishes Peskov’s remarks quoted him as saying Apple may no longer be reliable as a commercial service provider, and described the removals as part of a pattern of Apple decisions he called “bizarre.”
Peskov also pointed users toward rival systems. According to the Telegram channel, he said there was an immediate answer for affected users: switch to Android, use Russian systems and continue using the services they prefer.
VK Group criticized Apple in its own statement, saying Apple removed its apps without advance notice or explanation. The company said VK has not been sanctioned or placed on sanctions lists, and said international and U.S. legal opinions had confirmed that position.
VK Group said Apple had already received those legal opinions and related information. The company called Apple’s actions toward Russian users unjustified and unacceptable.
VK says Android versions still work
VK Group said its Android apps remain available and fully functional, including updates and notifications. The company listed RuStore, Google Play, Huawei AppGallery, Samsung Store, Xiaomi Store and its own product websites as available distribution points.
The dispute comes against a broader record of Russian government requests to Apple. Apple’s 2025 App Store Transparency Report says Russia asked the company to remove 1,213 apps that year, far more than any other country listed in that category.
Vietnam ranked second in Apple’s report, with 335 app removal requests in 2025. Ars Technica reported that many of the apps targeted by Russia were VPN tools, which can be used to bypass online blocking and censorship controls.
The removals of Max and VKontakte have flipped that app-store pressure back onto Russian services. Russian officials have frequently sought to restrict access to apps they oppose, while Apple’s latest removals affect apps tied to major Russian communications and social platforms.
This story draws on original reporting from Ars Technica.