[BUG] VSCode extension: markdown file links with non-ASCII (Cyrillic) paths don't open files in chat panel
Description
In the Claude Code VSCode extension chat panel, markdown file links behave differently
depending on whether the path contains non-ASCII characters:
- ASCII path → link renders and opens the file correctly ✅
- Cyrillic path → link renders as a blue hyperlink, but clicking does nothing ❌
- URL-encoded Cyrillic path → not rendered as a link at all (plain text) ❌
Steps to reproduce
- Open Claude Code in VSCode extension (chat panel)
- Ask Claude to reference a file with a Cyrillic path, e.g.:
\[ОбщийМодуль.bsl](src/ОбщиеМодули/МойМодуль/Ext/Module.bsl)\
- Click the link — nothing happens
For comparison, this works fine:
\[Module.bsl](src/CommonModules/MyModule/Ext/Module.bsl)\
Expected behavior
The file opens in the VSCode editor regardless of the encoding of its path.
Actual behavior
- Cyrillic path: link is rendered but click does nothing
- URL-encoded Cyrillic path (\%D0%9C%D0%BE%D0%B9...\): rendered as plain text, not clickable
Notes
The same URL-encoded markdown link works correctly in a \.md\ file opened in VSCode
(both in editor and preview pane). This suggests the chat panel uses a custom renderer
that does not handle non-ASCII paths the same way as VSCode's built-in markdown renderer.
Workaround
Using the Read tool causes Claude to emit a special clickable element in the extension UI
that correctly opens the file in a new tab — even for Cyrillic paths.
Environment
- OS: Windows 11
- VSCode: latest
- Claude Code extension: latest
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