Apple Restricts Accounts of Sanctioned Russian Lawmakers

10:57; 04 March 2026 year

### Russian MPs Face Apple Account Restrictions Amid US Sanctions Several members of the Russian State Duma, who are on the U.S. sanctions list, have encountered restrictions on their Apple accounts. Three lawmakers reported issues with their personal Apple IDs to the Russian business daily Vedomosti, according to a report. One deputy received a notification about the blockage when attempting to pay for a subscription, while another received a similar message without taking any action. Most of the affected MPs have chosen not to publicly discuss the issue and prefer to comment anonymously. Vitaly Milonov, a member of the ruling United Russia party, who bought a new iPhone shortly after its autumn 2025 presentation, stated that he has not experienced any problems with his device or account, although he did criticize the smartphone itself. Another MP showed a journalist a successful purchase payment and an electronic receipt. Experts point out that implementing such restrictions could involve legal complexities. In case of stricter measures, a possible workaround might be registering a new account with different personal data or linking it to another jurisdiction, according to specialists. Political analyst Pavel Sklyanчук notes that Russian politicians have yet to develop a universal strategy to counter personal sanctions, often resorting to changing accounts or giving up Apple products altogether.

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