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App Store Starts Going Dark in Russia After Kremlin-Linked Apps Disappear
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![Photo of Vlad Litnarovych]( "Photo of Vlad Litnarovych")
Access to Apple’s App Store and official website has deteriorated sharply across Russia, with users in multiple regions reporting that the services no longer load or work reliably, independent Russian outlet Verstka reported on July 20.
Despite claims that the App Store has stopped working completely, available network data points to a widespread partial disruption rather than a confirmed nationwide shutdown.
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Measurements collected by the Open Observatory of Network Interference, or OONI, show that abnormal and failed connections to the App Store jumped to 37.7% on July 18 and 39% the following day. Earlier in 2026, the share had generally remained between 14% and 16%.
Access to Apple’s main website deteriorated even more dramatically. Roughly two-thirds of connection tests from Russia were classified as anomalous between July 17 and July 19, compared with no more than about 10% earlier this year. OONI did not record a similar trend in the United States, Britain, or Germany.
The pattern could indicate that Russian authorities are partially restricting access to Apple services, although network anomalies alone do not establish who is responsible.
Russia’s outage-monitoring service Sboy.rf also recorded hundreds of user complaints. Reports came from Moscow, St. Petersburg, Ufa, Rostov, Volgograd, Samara, and numerous other regions, with some users saying the App Store worked only through a VPN.
The disruption comes shortly after Apple removed several applications belonging to Russia’s state-controlled VK technology group, including VKontakte, Odnoklassniki, Mail.ru services, and the Kremlin-backed Max messenger. Apple said the removals were made to comply with sanctions.
Google Play subsequently removed Max, VKontakte, and Odnoklassniki after the European Union imposed sanctions on VK and the subsidiary behind Max. Previously installed versions remain operational, while the applications are still available through several alternative Android stores.
Recently, reports emerged that unreleased iPad Pro M5 tablets that appeared in videos by Russian tech bloggers were reportedly stolen from Apple’s European warehouses before their official launch.
The leak follows a similar incident last year involving MacBook Pro M4 devices, suggesting repeated breaches in Apple’s supply chain security.
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