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For users outside of Russia, Crimea appears as part of Ukraine in Apple Maps, and without a country designation when searching in the weather app.
Russia annexed Crimea from Ukraine in 2014 after a popular uprising unseated Ukraine's pro-Russian president. Violence continues in the conflict zone in eastern Ukraine between Russian-backed separatists and Ukrainian soldiers. Ukraine and its western backers, including the United States, say Russia's annexation of Crimea was illegal and have imposed economic sanctions, including freezing assets and restricting trade.
Ukrainian officials slammed Apple. Foreign Minister Vadym Prystaiko said in a series of tweets that the company should "stick to high-tech and entertainment. Global politics is not your strong side. "
An Apple spokesperson did not respond to a request for comment.
But the company is not alone in apparently complying with Russian demands to redraw the map of the region. Google Maps viewed in Russia also shows a border between Crimea and Ukraine. Outside of Russia, users see a dotted line marking that border, compared with a solid black line that separates other countries.
-— Nathan Hodge in Moscow contributed to this article.