VKontakte Completes Migration to vk.ru Domain
VKontakte (VK) completed its migration from vk.com to vk.ru in July 2026, establishing vk.ru as the primary access domain. The company stated that this domain operates on Russian infrastructure and does not rely on foreign services.
User accounts, content, features, and design remain unchanged. The company recommends updating bookmarks and has begun automatically redirecting vk.com to vk.ru. The platform continues to offer posts, photos, videos, messages, groups, short video Clips, and long video services.
Prior to the migration, vk.ru had been running in parallel with vk.com since 2022. On July 16, 2026, VK applications including VKontakte and Max were removed from Google Play. The company claims vk.ru opens faster and has higher availability.
At the same time, the EU included VK on its sanctions list. The removal of the app from the App Store occurred in late June. The company stated that future service availability will primarily remain within the .ru domain area.
The platform mainly features content in Russian, covering local news, entertainment, and community discussions. Users can access full functionality through vk.ru without needing to migrate data.
In terms of market mechanisms, the domain switch occurred against the backdrop of app store removals and sanctions. Beneficiaries are those relying on the stability of domestic infrastructure, while those under pressure are external integrators and developers who previously depended on the .com domain and international app distribution channels.
Source: Public Information
ABAB AI Insight
VKontakte is operated by VK and has long used vk.com as its main domain. It acquired vk.ru in 2022 and ran it in parallel. The migration to .ru was completed in 2026.
In terms of capital pathways, resources have shifted from international domains and app store distribution to domestic domain infrastructure. The company maintains existing user accounts and content systems while adjusting APIs and authorization endpoints to .ru.
This is similar to other platforms that have adjusted their domains and distribution channels under sanction pressure. It is currently in a phase of limited external channels and prioritizing domestic infrastructure.
Essentially, this represents a restructuring of the industry chain. The binding of domains and infrastructure has shifted from an international system to a domestic system, altering the dependency relationship on access stability and distribution pathways.
ABAB News · Cognitive Law
Domain switching also shifts infrastructure dependency
Functionality remaining unchanged does not equal distribution channels remaining unchanged
Stability takes precedence over previous international address habits