UPDATE: RUSAL says Deripaska leaves board of directors

(Adds comments by Sberbank in last three paragraphs)

MOSCOW/ST. PETERSBURG, May 25 (PRIME) -- Oleg Deripaska, the major shareholder of Russian aluminum giant UC RUSAL, has left the company’s board of directors to protect holders’ interests due to the U.S. sanctions, the company said Friday in a statement on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange.

Earlier in May, Deripaska left the board of directors of En+ Group, which controls RUSAL.

On April 6, the U.S. imposed sanctions against 38 Russian tycoons, officials and companies including Deripaska.

National top lender Sberbank CEO German Gref said that Sberbank, being a creditor of RUSAL, supports a decision of Deripaska and its representatives to leave the board of directors.

The bank does not see serious risks on its loan to RUSAL, he also said.

“Our loans are well secured, that’s why I do not see any serious risks.”

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