The updated rules state that users with Russian accounts are prohibited from using American neural networks in their projects. In addition, Habra users are complaining that OpenRouter is blocking the ability for Russians to add funds to their accounts.
OpenRouter sent out emails: “OpenRouter does not support usage, billing, or payment methods associated with your geographic region” due to compliance policies (U.S. sanctions and requirements from upstream providers). This applies to both credit cards and cryptocurrency (Coinbase). Many users on Habr have confirmed the issue.
It’s also worth noting that access to the APIs (ChatGPT/OpenAI, Claude/Anthropic, Gemini/Google) isn’t completely blocked if you still have credits in your account—you can use them. The free models also work (with limits).
OpenRouter has tightened enforcement of regional restrictions imposed by upstream providers (OpenAI, Anthropic, Google). These providers prohibit access for users from certain countries (including Russia) in accordance with their Terms of Service. The company now better detects these restrictions based on billing address, account information, and other indicators (not just IP).
The Terms of Service (updated in May 2026) explicitly prohibit circumventing these restrictions, including through the use of VPNs or proxies for Restricted Models.
- OpenAI, Anthropic, and Google have long since stopped officially supporting Russia (due to sanctions). OpenRouter is an aggregator, so it has to comply with their rules to avoid losing access to the models. It used to be easier to get around this, but enforcement is stricter now.
What Should Russians Do Now?
- Use up the remaining credit.
- Request a refund (currently available for Stripe; cryptocurrency refunds are generally not issued).
- Look for alternatives: Russian or partner models, other aggregators, or direct APIs (where possible).
- For new payments—intermediaries with foreign billing (but there are risks, and OpenRouter may tighten its policies further).
This isn't a sudden, blanket ban on all AI, as well as the typical tightening of compliance standards that Western services periodically undergo. The same thing happened with other platforms.
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