Russian Social Network VK Closes Office in Kyiv
The Kyiv office of Russian social network VKontakte has closed due to sanctions imposed after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree blocking access to a number of Russian social media sites.
The Kyiv office of Russian social network VKontakte has closed due to sanctions imposed after Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko signed a decree blocking access to a number of Russian social media sites and webservices on May 16, 2017.
Press Secretary for the network's Ukrainian branch, Vlad Lyehotkin, gave Hromadske a comment on the closure:
"All employees have been offered continued work with Vkontakte or the holding Mail.Ru group. Of course, everyone must decide for themselves whether to take this opportunity," Lyehotkin said.
The decree from the National Security and Defense Council of Ukraine led to the banning Russian social networks, including Vkontakte, Odnoklassniki and the webservice Yandex.
After the ban, VKontakte set a record for the number of visitors.
Read More: The Russian Social Media Ban in Ukraine, Explained