SOCHI, September 04. /ITAR-TASS/. Russia’s central bank has granted a strategic status to 19 banks so far, the regulator’s Deputy Chairman Mikhail Sukhov said at a banking forum on Thursday.

“We will complete a transfer of 19 largest banks, which form 70% of all assets in the banking industry, under a direct oversight of the regulator’s central office by the end of September. We will implement new regulatory methods with these banks exactly,” Sukhov said.