A Moscow court has fined Russia’s Central Bank for violating regulations on the storage of firearms, TASS reported.
According to case materials reviewed by TASS, inspectors from the Russian National Guard (Rosgvardiya) identified the violations during on-site inspections of the bank’s Interregional Security Center in Moscow in November 2023 and April 2024.
During the inspections, officers found handguns in the bank’s weapons room, including two Makarov pistols belonging to security personnel from Sberbank and a private security firm. Rosgvardiya inspectors concluded that the Central Bank had stored firearms it did not own, a violation of Russia’s Federal Law on Weapons.
The Central Bank denied any wrongdoing, saying the firearms had been stored for no more than two hours while Sberbank cash couriers were inside the building. The pistols were returned to the security guards after their visit, bank representatives said. They also noted that the Central Bank holds a valid firearms storage license.
The Central Bank has appealed the fine.