RUSSIAN BANKS QUIETLY WEIGH STATE SUPPORT AS BAD LOANS CLIMB – BLOOMBERG
Senior leaders at some of Russia’s biggest banks are reportedly having internal discussions about the possibility of government assistance if the spike in bad loans continues, according to sources cited by Bloomberg.
At least three major financial institutions, including Sberbank and VTB, have already drafted scenarios for recapitalization in the coming year. Insiders say the deterioration in loan portfolios is far worse than what’s being publicly reported.
▶️ Highlights:
• Official stats show 4% of corporate loans and 10.5% of unsecured consumer loans are classified as non-performing.
• Bank insiders believe the actual figures are significantly higher, with regulatory changes concealing the true extent.
• Sberbank’s distressed mortgages jumped 90% in Q1, hitting a two-year peak.
• Unsecured loan defaults at Sberbank spiked 22.5%, while VTB saw a rise from 3.9% to 4.8% in consumer bad debt.
🔍 Regulatory Reaction:
Central Bank chief Elvira Nabiullina insists the banking system is “well capitalized,” pointing to 8 trillion rubles in reserves. However, the central bank may have to tap into its macroprudential buffer to offset increasing loan losses.
🧠 What’s Next:
Top bankers caution that the sector faces challenging months ahead as credit quality weakens across the board. No official requests for government support have been made yet, but the entire industry is keeping a close watch.
#Russia #BankingCrisi #Sberbank #VTB
#NonPerformingLoans