MOSCOW, June 25. /TASS/. Apple’s decision to remove VK apps and subsidiary services is strange and affects not only Russians but also tens of millions of Russian-speaking users worldwide, Kremlin Spokesman Dmitry Peskov said.

"Undoubtedly, such decisions to remove our apps, especially ones with such a massive user base, from the App Store hit the interests of users not only in our country but across the Russian-speaking world, where VK and all its subsidiary services are actively used," he told a briefing.

"We are talking about tens of millions of people whose interests are affected by such decisions by Apple that are, to say the least, strange," Peskov added.

VK announced earlier that Apple had removed its apps from the store without explanation. The company clarified that apps already installed would continue to function on Apple devices, though users would not receive push notifications. VK also emphasized that it had never been subject to sanctions, a fact confirmed by numerous legal opinions from international and US lawyers.