Running Claude Code and Fable 5 from Russia: New Ways Around the Blocks

Two months have passed since the first part came out. Anthropic and Google have updated their developer tools, shipping new versions of Claude Code and Antigravity with support for frontier models such as Fable 5 and Opus 4.8. But the updates brought a problem: the tools stopped working from Russia.

What broke

The new versions of Claude Code and Antigravity added stricter geolocation and access checks. The tools used to work with simple browser-level workarounds. Now they require a full VPS setup that proxies traffic. Direct connections from Russian IP addresses get blocked at the API request level, right at the entry point.

Security requirements for working with API keys have also tightened. The system now tracks not only IP addresses but also usage patterns, request timing, and API call frequency. The familiar browser workarounds no longer work.

The fix: VPS and local servers

• Set up an Ubuntu VPS with a foreign hosting provider (Vultr, DigitalOcean, Linode) and tunnel it to your local Claude Code over SSH
• Run a local proxy server that routes requests through the VPS and masks your real IP
• Use a local Docker container with local LLMs (Ollama, LM Studio) as a fallback if the VPS goes down
• Configure an SSH tunnel to handle API keys securely and keep traffic from being logged
• Cache requests with Redis on the VPS to optimize traffic and cut latency

The key point: the VPS doesn't need to be powerful. A standard configuration will do — 2-4 vCPU and 8 GB of RAM is enough. The local machine handles most of the processing load; the VPS only passes traffic through and masks its origin.

The new features that make it worth the effort

The updates brought serious improvements to the models themselves. Fable 5 posts the best results on fast, synthetic tasks, making it ideal for code where speed matters. Opus 4.8 gets an expanded context window (now up to 200K tokens) and a better grasp of code structure. Claude Code now supports deeper integration with local tools and git repositories.

"The setup is a pain, but the results are worth it" — the takeaway

from feedback by developers who have tried the new versions.

For anyone working with long code files (10K+ lines) or analyzing large projects, Opus 4.8's larger context is critical. Developers prefer Fable 5 for its response speed on simple refactors and autocomplete.

What it means

Anthropic and Google tightening geographic restrictions is a normal move to comply with local laws and policies. But developers will adapt. VPS setups remain an accessible and legal way to reach the tools. The main thing is not to violate the services' terms of service when setting up tunnels and proxies.

The first part covered basic setup and the nature of the problem. This second part tackles more complex scenarios — for those willing to spend a few hours on configuration to get access to up-to-date developer tools.