Facing persistent Western technology sanctions, Russia’s Sberbank CEO German Gref announced that the bank plans to procure Chinese‑made AI chips to power its flagship GigaChat large language model, addressing a critical domestic compute gap.

As Russia’s largest bank, Sberbank has long led local AI development but remains constrained by hardware sanctions, putting its AI progress behind the US and China. The bank is also building long‑term self‑reliance by acquiring a stake in domestic manufacturer Element.

No specific Chinese chip models have been disclosed yet. Competition for high‑quality AI silicon from China is intense, which may complicate procurement.

ICgoodFind: Sanctions‑driven Russian demand opens a new export channel for Chinese AI chips, expanding their global market footprint.