Russia to develop domestic mobile application store amidst escalating western sanctions

Russian Prime Minister Mikhail Mishustin has asked workers to complete the development of a Russian application store for mobile devices before June 1, according to an official statement published by Kremlin. Amidst growing western sanctions, Mishustin, on Thursday, instructed to "ensure the completion of the development of a domestic application store for mobile devices.” While Google LLC and the Putin administration have been at loggerheads, Play Store is still functional in Russia.

According to TASS, the goal was set following the Russian Prime Minister’s speech in parliament’s lower house-Duma-with a report on government activities in 2021. The Prime Minister drew attention to the fact that foreign platforms - App Store and Google Play - could limit the ability of Russian users to download applications.

Separately, Kremlin imposed a fine of 11 million rubles or $137,763 on Alphabet Inc’s Google for what it termed “fake” information about its "special military operation" in Ukraine and YouTube videos, reported news agency TASS. Earlier, Google blocked the Russian State Duma's YouTube channel "Duma TV". The channel had as many as 145 thousand subscribers, and all the videos posted on the channel garnered over 100 million views in total.

Putin claims victory 

Meanwhile, desperate to present a victory before the Presidential polls of 2024, Russian President Vladimir Putin claimed triumph in the besieged city of Mariupol on Thursday, despite an estimated 2,000 Ukrainian fighters still holed up at Azovstal Plant. "Mariupol has been liberated," defence minister Sergei Shoigu said during a televised meeting with Putin. However, a statement by Oleksiy Danilov, the secretary of Ukraine’s National Security and Defense Council, has left Russians fumed.

Appearing in an interview, Danilov opined on Ukraine hitting the US$4 billion Kerch bridge- the only joint between Crimea and mainland Russia. “Had we been able to do it, we would have already done it,” Danilov said on Thursday. “If there is a possibility, we will definitely do it.” Meanwhile, new Mass graves have been identified where Ukrainian officials say the Russians have been burying Mariupol residents killed in the fighting. As the war continues for the eighth week, the west warned that Zelenksyy’s force would need more military supplies.

(Image: AP)