EU Hits VK and Messenger MAX With Official Sanctions After App Store Pull
The European Union has formally added VK, the MAX messenger legal entity, and other domestic tech firms to its sanctions list, following earlier unannounced removals from Apple's App Store.
On July 13, 2026, the European Union introduced sanctions against VK, the parent company of VK, and Communications Platform, the legal entity behind the national messenger MAX, according to an official publication in the EU's legal journal. The sanctions list also expands to include Odnoklassniki and several other domestic digital services, including internet service provider software developer VAS Experts, Norsi-Trans, and Citadel, which specialize in SORM interception and surveillance solutions.
The Council of the European Union justified the move by pointing out that VK acts as the parent company for Communications Platform, the developer of the MAX messenger. Representatives for VK stated that the EU sanctions do not affect the operational status of VK and MAX, asserting that applications and services remain available to users in their usual mode.
This formal regulatory step follows an abrupt removal phase on June 25, 2026, when various VK apps—including Music, Messenger, Video, Dating, Skillbox, and Dzen, alongside Odnoklassniki and Mail.ru mail client—disappeared from the Russian App Store. While the flagship VKontakte app lingered briefly, it too was eventually pulled. VK stated at the time that the removals happened without warning, meaning while existing installations continue to function, they cannot receive updates through the App Store and iPhone users will no longer receive push notifications.
Previously, VK maintained that it had never been subject to sanctions and cited international legal opinions submitted to Apple. Meanwhile, Russia's Ministry of Digital Development labeled the App Store removals politically motivated and turned to the Federal Antimonopoly Service (FAS) for rapid intervention. Apple previously informed BBC News that the apps were removed in compliance with sanctions regulations as part of its policy to obey the laws of the jurisdictions where it operates, without explicitly naming the underlying statutes.
Source: habr
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