Russians plan to launch alternative to Google Play on Victory Day

FILE PHOTO: An aerial view shows the skyline of the capital Moscow in Russia, October 29, 2015. REUTERS/Andrey Kuzmin

(Reuters) - Russian tech developers are building an alternative to Alphabet Inc's Google Play store and plan to launch it on May 9, a national holiday in Russia that celebrates victory in World War Two, the organisation behind the initiative said on Tuesday.

YouTube and Google Play this month suspended all payment-based services in Russia, including subscriptions, as Western sanctions over Russia's actions in Ukraine started to pose banking challenges in the country.