Russian Social Network VK Sues Apple Over App Store Removal

VKontakte (VK), Russia’s largest social media platform, has filed a lawsuit against US tech giant Apple over the firm’s June decision to delist VK from its App Store marketplace.VK is seeking 58 million rubles (around $700,000) per day in damages if Apple fails to comply with the Moscow court ruling, according to Russian state media RIA Novosti on Friday.JOIN US ON TELEGRAMFollow our coverage of the war on the @Kyivpost_official.The company told the outlet that the 58 million rubles demand consists of 50 million rubles (around $605,000) per day for the VK platform itself, 3 million rubles ($36,287) for the Odnoklassniki social network, and 5 million rubles ($60,479) for the VK Music service.Apple’s decision to delist the app in late June came just days before the EU imposed sanctions on VK over its role in developing the Kremlin-sanctioned Max messenger, which was also delisted from the Google Play store weeks later.RIA Novosti said VK filed its claim in the Moscow Arbitration Court against American Apple Inc., Russian Apple Rus LLC, and Irish Apple Distribution International Ltd.The company said the goal is to force Apple to reinstate the app and its notifications for users.“In its lawsuit, VK demands that Apple return the company’s apps to the App Store, restore users’ ability to receive notifications from apps, and collect penalties in the event of non-compliance with the court’s decision,” the company was quoted as saying.In early August, Russia’s Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) also threatened Apple with a 4 billion rubles ($49.7 million) fine over the company’s alleged noncompliance with Moscow’s demand to pre-install Kremlin-sanctioned messaging services. Other Topics of Interest Ukraine Planned 1,000-Drone Swarm to Paralyze Moscow Airports The operation, codenamed “M&Ms,” was developed under former Defense Minister Mykhailo Fedorov and envisioned sending hundreds of small, low-cost drones into Moscow in a single night. Russia banning social mediaThe company announced its departure from Russia in March 2022, days after Moscow’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine began, though some services, including localizations in Russian and access to Apple Music, remain available.In April 2026, Apple also suspended support for Apple subscriptions and digital purchases made using mobile phone accounts from Russian telecom providers “for reasons beyond Apple’s control,” according to the company.In recent years, Moscow has banned foreign social media platforms, including Facebook and Instagram, imposed astronomical fines on Google, and severely limited YouTube’s download speeds to deter domestic access. Kyiv Post is Ukraine’s first and oldest English news organization, reporting since 1995. Its international reach – 97% of readers are outside of Ukraine – make it truly Ukraine’s global voice.