The popular Russian online marketplace Avito said Tuesday that its app has been removed from Apple’s App Store for unknown reasons.
“Unfortunately, our app is currently unavailable for download in the App Store. The reasons are being looked into,” Avito’s press service said in a post on Telegram.
The company said it contacted Apple to find out why its app was no longer available and urged users to avoid uninstalling the app from their phones. New users were told to use the website’s mobile version.
Avito is among the world’s most-visited classifieds websites.
Amid a Western business exodus following Russia’s full-scale invasion of Ukraine, Avito’s Dutch owner Prosus — an investment company owned by the South African holding company Naspers — sold the platform to entrepreneur Ivan Tavrin’s investment firm Kismet Capital Group for $2.4 billion in October 2022.
In December 2023, the United States placed sanctions on Tavrin, describing him as “one of Russia’s biggest wartime dealmakers.” Kismet was also sanctioned.
It was not immediately clear whether Avito’s removal from the Apple App Store was linked to the U.S. sanctions against its owner.