MOSCOW, March 28 (RIA Novosti) – Bank Rossiya, targeted by recent US sanctions, said Friday it was closing all its correspondent accounts in US banks and will operate only on the domestic market using Russia’s national currency, the ruble.
“A number of US banks have been notified about the closure of correspondent accounts,” Bank Rossiya said, adding that similar notifications will be sent to other foreign financial institutions.
The move aims at protecting the bank’s customers from potential damages as a result of “unjust” actions by foreign financial institutions, the bank said in a statement.
Bank Rossiya, considered by the US Treasury as a personal bank for more than a dozen Russian government officials, including President Vladimir Putin, is among several Russian banks hit by punitive sanctions levied by Washington last week in response to the reunification of Crimea with Russia.