Apple Removes Russian Social Network VK and Other Apps From App Store Apple’s quiet purge of Russian tech giant VK from the App Store has triggered a loud political brawl — with Moscow calling it censorship and unfair competition, while independent outlets focus on opacity, market power and the practical hit to millions of users.

Kremlin vs. Cupertino

Russia’s Foreign Ministry has framed the move as a frontal attack on its information sovereignty. State agency TASS blares that “Russia calls VK’s removal from App Store [a] cynical act of censorship,” quoting spokeswoman Maria Zakharova’s claim that this is a “cleansing of the information and communication space.” In another piece, TASS amplifies the line that the step is part of Western IT infrastructure being weaponized for “pressure, censorship and promotion of the political agenda of a dictatorial order.”

The Digital Development Ministry, quoted by independent outlet Meduza, echoes the message but sharpens the charge: Apple’s decision is “politically motivated” and an “act of unfair competition,” and it is “completely ignoring” the social importance of apps that can warn users about emergencies.

Independent media: follow the apps, follow the power

Opposition-leaning outlets zoom in on what exactly vanished — and what that says about Apple’s leverage. The Insider dryly notes that “Zen, VK Video, and Odnoklassniki” and other services disappeared from the store while the main “VKontakte” app initially remained available, underscoring the piecemeal, opaque nature of the takedown.

Novaya Gazeta Europe reports more broadly that “Apple removed VK apps from the App Store,” including VKontakte, Dzen, Odnoklassniki, Mail.ru, Skillbox and multiple VK services, stressing VK’s complaint that Apple acted “unilaterally and without warning” and calling the move “unmotivated” and “unacceptable.”

Meduza’s coverage stitches the pattern together: first, the ministry’s “politically motivated” accusation and antitrust referral, then a tally of removed products — from VKontakte and Mail.ru to Skillbox and Dzen — and the reminder that VK “has never been subject to sanctions” even as Apple went ahead and “unilaterally removed VK’s apps without warning.”

The dividing line is clear: Moscow calls censorship, opposition media call out platform power — and Apple, for now, isn’t calling anything at all.