Russians begin losing access to the App Store

Meduza reports that Russians have begun losing access to Apple's App Store. Starting on Thursday, July sixteenth, connections to Apple's website and app marketplace deteriorated sharply. According to the OONI research project, the Apple website's availability fell to between thirty and forty percent in Russia, while the App Store itself dropped to roughly sixty percent—disruptions not observed in other countries. Google Play has seen similar problems, hovering around forty to fifty percent availability. The timing follows Apple's removal of Russian apps from its store in recent months, citing international sanctions, including apps from the VK holding company after the European Union sanctioned it in July. Russian telecom authorities have denied restricting access to these platforms, but Meduza suggests the government may have partially blocked the services.

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