ISTANBUL

Expired Visa and MasterCard bank cards will continue to operate in Russia without disruption, the central bank said Wednesday, assuring that no drastic steps are planned to disable them.

“All cards are working. When international payment systems disappeared, we did everything we could to ensure they worked and our customers didn’t feel a thing,” said Alla Bakina, head of the Bank of Russia’s national payment system department, cited by the state-run Tass news agency.

“We found a solution to prevent cards from being blocked, and we won’t take any drastic steps that will inconvenience citizens. We are in dialogue with the banks about how to take the right steps to ensure all security issues are resolved,” she added.

Bakina said the gradual phase-out of Visa and MasterCard systems in Russia has been ongoing since 2022, following the companies’ exit from the country.

Visa and MasterCard suspended operations in Russia in 2022 amid Western sanctions, prompting Moscow to strengthen its domestic “Mir” payment system and expand bilateral alternatives with partner countries.