As RBC reminds, VTB came under blocking Western sanctions in February 2022. Pyanov noted that at the end of 2023, the volume of assets frozen due to sanctions on VTB’s balance sheet was estimated at 900 billion rubles.

Pyanov, in particular, said that VTB will work with frozen assets, including methods of conducting a special reorganization and pursuing a judicial strategy (claims to recover funds from its European subsidiaries).

In December, President Vladimir Putin said that Russian banks were showing stable and sustainable performance despite sanctions.