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Moody’s warns Kiev's sanctions may harm Russian bank subsidiaries’ credit rating

Sanctions cover bans on withdrawing funds outside Ukraine, payment of dividends, interests, repayment of interbank deposits and loans

MOSCOW, March 20. /TASS/. Sanctions introduced by Ukrainian authorities against subsidiaries of Russian banks may adversely affect their creditworthiness, Junior Vice President of Moody’s international rating agency Lev Dorf said in an analytical review on Monday.

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"An adverse information background, restrictions imposed by the regulator and uncertainty in respect of future of these banks may lead to disturbances in their operations, increase reputation costs, and may probably entail lowering of customer confidence, outflow of clients’ funds, liquidity contraction and worsening of market positions," the analytical review said.

The impact of sanctions on Russian parent banks will be limited because the share of Ukrainian assets and liabilities in their balance sheets is insignificant, Dorf said.

Last week, Ukraine introduced sanctions against five banks with the Russian capital for the term of one year. Sanctions hit Sberbank, Prominvestbank, VTB, BM Bank and VS Bank. Sanctions contemplate prohibition of funds withdrawal outside Ukraine, payment of dividends, interests, repayment of interbank deposits and loans, and so on. The ban also covers profit appropriation and equity of these five banks.

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