Sberbank halts 5 offices in Ukraine due to riots by nationalists

KIEV, Mar 24 (PRIME) -- Russia’s biggest lender Sberbank has suspended operations at five offices in Ukraine, in Dnipro, Zaporozhye, Sumakh, Vinnitsa and Kiev due to violent protests by nationalists, a spokesperson for the bank told PRIME on Friday.

“At the moment, operations of five offices of the bank: in Dnipro, Zaporozhye, Sumy, Vinnitsa and of one office in Kiev – have been suspended. The bank has sent statements to law enforcement authorities,” the official said, adding that the rest of the offices work normally.

Sberbank started to provide services to holders of passports of self-proclaimed Donetsk and Luhansk republics in early March, which set start for nationalist riots in Ukraine. According to Ukrainian media, on Friday, the Vinnitsa unit of Sberbank was blocked and smeared with paint.

Deputy Chairwoman of the National Bank of Ukraine Yekaterina Rozhkova said on Thursday that attacks on infrastructure of Russian banks’ affiliates in Ukraine threaten stability of the Ukrainian banking system, and asked the police to reinstate peace for the banks to resume their operations.

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