VK Dumps 100% of RuStore onto App's CEO After Fresh Sanctions Hit
When European sanctions come knocking, state-backed tech giants suddenly discover the beauty of fast privatization and shifting liability to individual executives.
In July 2026, tech holding VK officially handed over 100% of its official Russian app marketplace RuStore to Dmitriy Pankrushev, the current CEO of the company that built the store. The transaction transferred complete ownership of the platform directly to the contractor who previously ran development for the project.
The deal followed hot on the heels of the European Union imposing heavy sanctions on VK and its subsidiary messaging entities. Just weeks earlier, Apple scrubbed all VK ecosystem applications from its global App Store without prior warning, cutting off iOS users from updates and push notifications entirely.
Originally launched as a state-promoted alternative to foreign digital storefronts in May 2022 under VK and government backing, RuStore had built an inventory of over 110,000 applications. Official figures reported monthly active users climbing past 68 million, with total installation metrics exceeding 100 million on Android devices across the region.
The app store had recently expanded monetization features for local developers, charging a 15% platform commission while attempting to compete locally against foreign rivals like Xiaomi, Samsung, and Huawei.
Shedding toxic assets right after international sanctions hit is the classic playbook for state-adjacent corporations looking to insulate their remaining revenues. Passing the legal buck to a solo executive creates a convenient buffer while pretending it is business as usual for millions of domestic users.
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