Sberbank to increase branch network in Crimea to 15 offices by end of 2023 - CEO Gref

ROSTOV-ON-DON. Nov 8 (Interfax) - Sberbank plans to increase its branch network in Crimea from the current four offices to 15 offices by the end of 2023, CEO Herman Gref told reporters on the sidelines of the Finopolis forum of innovative financial technologies.

"Today, November 8, we are opening another office in Sevastopol, already the fifth, for retail clients. Sber's branch network in Crimea will total 15 offices overall by the end of the year," Gref said.

Gref also noted that Sberbank's retail loan portfolio in Crimea has already exceeded 9 billion rubles, its share in the housing lending market has reached 13%, and the volume of approved business loans is 46 billion rubles.

Gref added that 106,000 people have visited the bank's offices in Crimea since operations began six months ago.

Sberbank opened the first offices in Yalta and Sevastopol in May 2023, opened a third office in Kerch in July, and opened a fourth office in Simferopol in October.

Sberbank has currently installed nearly 3,000 POS terminals in retail outlets in Crimea, and there were 114 of the bank's ATMs in operation as on October 25.