The explanation for the removal is simply "various compliance
requirements
". Given that the developers involved all appear to be of
Russian origin, it is not too hard to imagine what sort of compliance is
involved here. There has, however, been no public posting of the policy
that required the removal of these entries.
Update: Linus Torvalds has since publicly supported this action and said that it will not be reverted.
Update 2: James Bottomley has clarified the requirements:
If your company is on the U.S. OFAC SDN lists, subject to an OFAC sanctions program, or owned/controlled by a company on the list, our ability to collaborate with you will be subject to restrictions, and you cannot be in the MAINTAINERS file.
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