Anthropic temporarily blocked access to the Claude API and displayed a verification request to users identified as Russian. The block applied to accounts used from abroad, including Turkey, and the service asked users to submit a Russian foreign passport for verification.
The author, who has been living in Turkey for several months, passed the verification but noted that the company provides no explanation for the restriction. Other foreign services usually allow access as long as payment is made with a non‑Russian card, but Anthropic’s approach requires additional KYC steps and may result in subscription suspension until verification is completed.