Russian social media company VKontakte (VK) on Thursday accused Apple of removing its applications from the App Store without prior notice, prompting criticism from the Kremlin.
In a statement, the St. Petersburg-based company said the removal would prevent users from receiving notifications for messages and other important updates through its apps.
VK maintained that it has never been subject to international sanctions or included on any sanctions list.
“VK has never been subject to sanctions or included on any sanctions lists, as confirmed by numerous reports from international and American lawyers. Apple has long had access to these official legal reports and all relevant information,” the company said.
Describing Apple’s decision as “unmotivated and unacceptable,” VK said it was taking all necessary measures to ensure uninterrupted access to its products and services.
The company added that applications already installed on Apple devices would continue to function normally, while all VK apps remain fully available to Android users.