VKontakte

org_company

VK is described as a Russian technology holding group operating social media platforms such as Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki, Mail.ru, and messaging services like MAX. In July 2025, it faced European Union sanctions over its alleged connection to the national messaging app Max, which was reportedly under FSB oversight; this coincided with Apple and Google removing all VK applications from their respective app stores without prior notice. The company responded by selling its RuStore app marketplace and accelerating a transition to the .ru domain, actions interpreted as efforts to mitigate sanction…

Recent coverage

• Blogger Artemiy Lebedev Calls Anti-Vaxxers Dangerous for Russia's Future — Вечерняя Москва
• Andrei Burlaka, a musical journalist and historian of the Leningrad rock movement, has died — Вечерняя Москва
• How VK and Max Disappeared from the App Store and Google Play: Drone Attacks on Wildberries Warehouses and a $15 Billion Startup Born in Yandex — The Bell
• Google follows Apple in removing all VK apps from its store (including the 'Max' messenger). Russian company won't suffer much, but there are ways to harm it even more — Meduza
• RuStore passes under management of VK - SPb Newspaper — Gazeta.SPb
• RTS dollar index fell below 800 points — Ведомости
• How VK and Max will live without Google: Why the richest Russians are moving capital out and Ukraine's new defense minister — The Bell
• Russian stock market sets new September 2022 low — SOTAvision
• Experts Link Sale of RuStore to Sanction Risks for VK — Коммерсантъ
• Russian stock market sets September 2022 minimum — Коммерсантъ
• Fedorov's Resignation: Z-bloggers Celebrate; Katz on Mobilization Prep; MAX and VK Removed from Google Play — Дождь
• VK reports that all holding services are operating without disruptions — РИАМО
• Main News of the Day: — РИА Новости (Telegram)
• VK Revealed Where to Download Their Apps — Ведомости
• Dzhabarov claims the West fears the truth emerging in MAH and VK — Вести
• VK Holding Comments on Removal of Its Apps from Google Play — Вести
• Miroshnik calls the removal of VK and MAX from popular platforms part of a war — Вести
• VK Apps Removed from Google Play and App Store; Company Urgently Attempts Adaptation — The Bell
• VK apps including 'Odnoklassniki', 'Mail' and 'Zen' removed from Google Play — ТАСС (Telegram)
• All applications of the VK holding were removed from Google Play — Коммерсантъ