Google Gemini AI suddenly becomes accessible to Russian users

Russian users have unexpectedly gained access to Google’s artificial intelligence chatbot, Google Gemini.

The AI is now available both in its web version and as an app for Android and iOS devices, according to Russian media.

The reasons behind the lifting of previous restrictions remain unclear, and some speculate that the access may have been granted by mistake.

Google officially ended its commercial operations in Russia in 2022 and dissolved its Russian legal entity in 2023. Despite this, the Gemini AI has now appeared for Russian users.

Google first introduced the Gemini AI model in March 2023 in the United States and select other countries. In December 2023, the company released the initial Gemini model, followed by an updated version, Gemini 1.5, in February 2024. A year later, in March 2025, Google unveiled the most powerful iteration, Gemini 2.5 Pro.

According to Google, the new version outperforms competitors such as OpenAI, DeepSeek, Grok, and Claude on several benchmarks, demonstrating advanced reasoning and coding capabilities. Over time, Gemini became accessible in many parts of the world, but Russia remained excluded—until now.

The app interface is fully translated into Russian, and the AI can understand and respond to queries in Russian, including via voice interactions. Meanwhile, Google Gemini’s main competitor, OpenAI’s ChatGPT, remains unavailable in Russia, a decision made by the developers themselves.

Gemini can be accessed online at gemini.google.com or through Android and iOS apps. However, Russian users are currently unable to download the apps via Google Play or the App Store using a Russian account.

By Tamilla Hasanova