Apple removes apps of Russian social media giant VK from App Store without notice

MOSCOW, June 25 — Apple has removed apps belonging to Russian social media giant VK from the App Store without advance notice, the Russian firm said Thursday in a statement on its website.

All platforms owned by VK have vanished from the App Store, including VK Video, VK Music, VK Messenger, Mail.ru, Yula and Zen, said the company, which is Russia’s largest domestic social media ecosystem.

Kremlin spokesman Dmitry Peskov described what Apple did as “strange, to say the least” in his daily briefing. “We are talking about tens of millions of people whose interests are affected by such decisions of Apple Inc.”