Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russians ‘withdraw billions’ from banks amid fears Putin could seize money

Read the original at The Independent ↗
Cite

Butt, M., & Rai, A. (2026, August 19). Ukraine-Russia war latest: Russians ‘withdraw billions’ from banks amid fears Putin could seize money. The Independent. https://www.independent.co.uk/news/world/europe/ukraine-russia-war-live-putin-zelensky-drones-uk-threat-b3035352.html

Dated when The Aporia collected the article, usually within hours of publication. Check the original for its exact date and byline.

The Independent · collected 2026-08-19 · by Maira Butt, Arpan Rai

Quick Summary

Russians are withdrawing billions from banks due to fear that the Kremlin may seize money to finance the war with Ukraine. According to data from the Russian Central Bank, nearly 286.4bn rubles ($3.4bn) was withdrawn in the first two weeks of August, following $7.3bn withdrawn last month and over $4.5bn in June. Alexandra Prokopenko, a former adviser to the Russian Central Bank, attributes these withdrawals to a lack of trust in the Russian banking system and financial system. The withdrawal of funds is reportedly a consequence of fear that the government will nationalize deposits.
Written locally by qwen2.5:14b on 2026-08-19, using this article's own text rather than the other coverage of the same event (that is the story summary below).

AI analysis runs on qwen2.5:14b, locally

Story summary

Russians are withdrawing billions of roubles from their banks amid fears that the Kremlin will seize deposits to fund the war in Ukraine. Over 286.4 billion roubles (£2.5 billion) were pulled out during the first two weeks of August, with a total of over 24.4 billion euros withdrawn from the country's banking system in the first seven months of this year. This cash run is creating a severe liquidity crisis for institutions already struggling with bad loans due to Kremlin directives. The withdrawals are also driven by Ukraine's relentless drone campaign against Russian oil infrastructure, which has knocked out over 30% of the nation's refining capacity and triggered a domestic fuel crisis. Analysts warn that total capital flight this year could be double what was seen during Russia's initial months of invasion in 2022.

Written for “Russians Withdraw Bank Funds Fearing …” on 2026-10-16, grounded in this article and the 2 other(s) covering the same event.

Story

📰 Russians Withdraw Bank Funds Fearing …
Economy/Business · 3 article(s) covering the same event. See how they differ ↓

Compared with similar articles

This article reads leans left and hedges 11% of its claims. Each row says how that neighbour differs.
Euronews · 0.92 cosine similarity
⚖️ Leans left 🔴 27% hedged 8 of 30 📰 publisher trust 60
“Both articles report on the same mass withdrawal of funds from Russian banks on August 19, citing the same source (Russian Central Bank data) and time frame.”
The Independent · 0.88 cosine similarity
⚖️ Leans left 🔴 19% hedged 5 of 26 📰 publisher trust 59
“Both articles report on the exact same date and describe similar withdrawals from Russian banks over fears of seizure by Putin's government.”
CBC News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 3% hedged 1 of 38 📰 publisher trust 60
“Article A discusses mass withdrawals from Russian banks due to fears of money seizure for Ukraine war funding, while Article B describes a Russian missile attack in Ukraine, indicating two distinct events”
BBC News
⚖️ Leans right further right than this 🔴 3% hedged 1 of 30 📰 publisher trust 72
“Article A focuses on Russia's warning to the UK about using drones in Ukraine, while Article B discusses a cash outflow from Russian banks due to fears of money seizures for the war with Ukraine”
The Independent
⚖️ Leans strongly left further left than this 🔴 29% hedged 7 of 24 📰 publisher trust 59
“Article A describes an economist's warning about Russia's economy and potential social crisis due to the war in Ukraine, while Article B reports on a mass withdrawal of money from Russian banks amid fears of asset seizure by the Kremlin”
The Straits Times
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 11% hedged 1 of 9 📰 publisher trust 60
“Article A describes Russia's warning to Britain about supplying drones to Ukraine, while Article B mentions drone strikes from Ukraine causing cash withdrawals in Russia, indicating two separate events”
BBC News
⚖️ leaning not scored 🔴 2% hedged 1 of 43 📰 publisher trust 72
“Article A discusses cash outflow from Russian banks due to fear of money seizure, while Article B reports on Ukrainian casualties and air defense shortages in Kyiv after a Russian strike”
How this article was measured signals, leaning charts, publisher record, byline, topics and claims

Signals How these are calculated →

Claims extracted
36
sentences that state something as happening or true
Uncertain
11%
4 of 36 hedged ("reportedly", "may", "according to")
Leaning
Leans left
of the writing, not the subject · beta estimate
Publisher signals
59/100
The Independent's corrections and hedging, across everything collected from it. Not a measure of accuracy.
Outlets on this story
3
Economy/Business
Same framing elsewhere
1
articles that frame the event the way this one does
Analyzed 2026-08-19 · how these are computed

How this is being covered How these are calculated →

Article leaning vs. publisher reliability
Source leaning vs. consistency

Publisher

The Independent · 2460 article(s) · 5 correction(s) detected
Running correction rate · 5 correction(s)

Who wrote this

Maira Butt
55 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 Ukrainians fear the growing rift between Washington and Kyiv could have severe consequences on the battlefield, where the Ukrainian military still depends on technology provided by the US.
🔮 Usage of Starlink is limited to civilian or defensive activities and cannot be used for offensive military action, as doing so would be inappropriate for a commercial company.”
🔮 Coincidentally, the dispute at the time was around the use of Starlink when Musk bragged that Ukraine’s “entire front line would collapse if I turned it (Starlink) off”.
🔮 He said the US would import 300,000 tons of the fuel as energy prices soar.
🔮 “One of her greatest fears was that her condition would continue to worsen because of delays and lack of adequate care, and that she would ultimately lose her life not because the cancer could not be treated, but because she was denied the chance to receive the treatment she needed.”
🔮 When 87-year-old Maricarmen Abascal received an eviction notice from the apartment she’d lived in for over 70 years, she could not have imagined that the letter would send thousands onto the streets.
🔮 Whenever might overtakes right, it undermines stability, trust and peaceful coexistence.
🔮 He added that he would not “chase after cheap, rotten flesh”.
🔮 He added that the British consul general along with 20 diplomats (including the consul general) are ending their assignments and will leave Israel.
🔮 Footage of Saint-Denis mayor Bally Bagayoko went viral as he appeared to shield protesters from police in protests.
Also by Maira Butt
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 55 articles by Maira Butt →
Arpan Rai
11 article(s) here · 1 carrying a prediction
🔮 The bill is awaiting Mr Trump’s signature after which it will be signed into a law.
🔮 City authorities said 10 people were wounded in Kyiv, with mayor Vitali Klitschko adding that apart from apartment and inhabited buildings, debris also fell on warehouse facilities and near a petrol station, now a frequent target of attacks.
🔮 Kim said Pyongyang’s government had a firm will to broaden its “comprehensive” cooperation with Russia based on their bilateral friendship, mutual assistance, and what he called the two countries’ alliance relations.
🔮 Kyiv’s spy chief has predicted that the Russian army could run out of troops and military resources by 2028 with morale “very low” in Moscow’s ranks.
🔮 Ending the war in Ukraine will allow the US to fully restore its ties with Russia, the Kremlin said, adding that the Russian president agreed with the view of his American counterpart.
🔮 The US president is expected to speak to Putin and Zelensky over the phone on Monday.
🔮 Earlier this month, the Wall Street Journal reported that US intelligence assessments had indicated that Putin could test Nato’s resolve with a limited assault on an allied country over the coming years.
🔮 It was the first known trip to Moscow by a US spy chief since his predecessor, William Burns, held talks with Vladimir Putin in November 2021.
🔮 Andy Burnham is set to give Ukraine blueprints for the British Storm Shadow long-range missile during his Independence Day visit.
🔮 People in Russia are withdrawing billions from the nation’s banks over fears that the Kremlin could begin to seize money to finance the war with Ukraine, a report says.
Also by Arpan Rai
Nothing else under this byline is closely related to this article, so these are simply their most recent.
All 11 articles by Arpan Rai →

Topics

Belarus Britain Russia Russian Ukraine

Subjects

Ukraine GPE · 10× Russian NORP · 9× Russia GPE · 8× Britain GPE · 7× Belarus GPE · 3× British NORP · 3× Ufa GPE · 3× Kyiv GPE · 2× London GPE · 2× the Russian Central Bank ORG · 2×

Narrative

Russia's Lavrov says Britain risks being seen as party to Ukraine war Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had the right to regard the direct involvement of Britain in strikes on Russian territory as participation in the war in Ukraine. His comments came after the Times newspaper reported on Saturday that British-made drones had been used for long-range strikes against Russia for the first time.
framing: assertive · carried by 1 article(s) · first seen 2026-08-19
🔮 People in Russia are withdrawing billions from the nation’s banks over fears that the Kremlin could begin to seize money to finance the war with Ukraine, a report says.

Claims (36 extracted, 4 hedged)

People in Russia are withdrawing billions from the nation’s banks over fears that the Kremlin could begin to seize money to finance the war with Ukraine, a report says. uncertain
report → withdraw → Ukraine
According to The Washington Post, the country is seeing a record cash outflow amid intensifying drone strikes from Ukraine. uncertain
country → accord → Ukraine
Nearly 286.4bn rubles (worth $3.4bn) was withdrawn in the first two weeks of August, according to data from the Russian Central Bank, reported in The Post. uncertain
rubles → withdraw → Post
That follows $7.3bn withdrawn last month and more than $4.5bn in June. asserted
That → follow → June
Alexandra Prokopenko, a former adviser to the Russian Central Bank, said the withdrawals illustrated a level of fear among the Russian public. asserted
withdrawals → say → public
“It means people have no trust in the Russian banking system or in the Russian financial system,” Prokopenko said. asserted
Prokopenko → mean → system
“This is all a consequence of the fear that the government will do something with the banking system, that it could nationalise deposits.” uncertain
it → do → deposits
Russia's Lavrov says Britain risks being seen as party to Ukraine war Russian foreign minister Sergei Lavrov said Russia had the right to regard the direct involvement of Britain in strikes on Russian territory as participation in the war in Ukraine. His comments came after the Times newspaper reported on Saturday that British-made drones had been used for long-range strikes against Russia for the first time. asserted
drones → say → time
Following the report, Russia's embassy in London warned Britain of unspecified "consequences" for supplying drones to Kyiv. asserted
embassy → follow → Kyiv
PM Andy Burnham said on Tuesday that Britain would support Ukraine "100%" in its fight against Russia and stand by Kyiv "in its hour of need". asserted
Britain → say → need
Moscow has previously accused British specialists of involvement in attacks on Russian territory, saying Britain's role would be taken "into account" in its response. asserted
role → accuse → response
EU welcomes decision by eight countries to back restrictive measures against Belarus The European Union has welcomed the decision by Albania, Bosnia, Iceland, Liechtenstein, Montenegro, North Macedonia, Norway and Ukraine to align with its restrictive measures against Belarus, EU foreign policy chief Kaja Kallas said in a statement on Tuesday. asserted
Kallas → welcome → Tuesday
In July, the EU Council decided to impose restrictive measures against the country "in view of the involvement of Belarus in the Russian aggression against Ukraine". asserted
Council → decide → Ukraine
Drone causes fire in industrial area in Russia's Ufa, official says Authorities were trying to put out a small fire after a drone fell in an industrial area in the city of Ufa in the Russian republic of Bashkortostan, the republic's head Radiy Khabirov said on the messaging app Telegram. asserted
head → cause → app
Khabirov added that one of the drones hit an apartment building and a few cars in Ufa, an oil refining hub, leaving one person injured. asserted
one → add → person
Ukraine's anti-corruption agencies launch probe ahead of key defence minister vote Anti-corruption agencies in Ukraine have launched a special operation against lawmakers and presidential advisers on Wednesday, hours before a key vote in parliament for a new defence minister. asserted
agencies → launch → minister
The NABU and SAPO agencies released no further details, but the probe poses a fresh headache for Volodymyr Zelensky after ousted defence chief Mykhailo Fedorov called for wartime elections in a bombshell statement late on Tuesday. asserted
Fedorov → release → Tuesday
Lawmakers were expected to vote on Wednesday on the appointment of Yevhenii Khmara, a former top special forces operative, as Ukraine's new defence minister after weeks of political turmoil over Fedorov's ouster. asserted
Lawmakers → expect → ouster
The Independent View: Britain must meet Putin’s war of words with action It was predictable that Russia would respond in its usual menacing fashion to the explosive arrival of British-made drones on its territory. asserted
Russia → meet → territory
These medium-range unmanned aerial vehicles, as they’re known in military circles, have participated in a recent Ukrainian campaign that has caused an estimated total of £35bn in economic damage to the Russian Federation. asserted
that → know → Federation
Resentment at this intervention is palpable in the statement issued by the Russian embassy in London. asserted
Resentment → issue → London
It accused Britain, absurdly, of being “an accomplice and co-perpetrator of the bloody crimes and terrorist attacks committed by Ukrainian neo-Nazis”. asserted
It → accuse → Nazis
It was more accurate in identifying this intensification of British and Ukrainian cooperation – very much a mutually advantageous process – as an “escalation”. asserted
It → identify → escalation
What it omitted was who it was that launched the illegal and, it turns out, doomed invasion of Ukraine more than four years ago. asserted
it → omit → Ukraine
Ukraine anti-graft agencies investigate group involving presidential officials Ukraine's anti-graft agencies have said they were carrying out an operation to uncover a “criminal organisation” which was run by current and former lawmakers, and involving high officials from the presidential office. asserted
which → investigate → office
The agencies did not give the details of the investigation, but said more information would come soon. asserted
information → give → investigation
Russian drone attack on Ukraine's Kherson bus kills four, governor says A Russian drone attack on a bus in Ukraine's southern city of Kherson killed four people on Wednesday morning, the regional governor said. asserted
governor → kill → morning
A further four women were wounded in the attack and have been taken to hospital, Oleksandr Prokudin said on the Telegram messaging app. asserted
Prokudin → wound → app
He posted blurred photos of a yellow bus with bloodied steps and shattered windows. asserted
He → post → steps
Russia says it hits military cargo vessel in Black Sea Russian forces have struck a cargo vessel in the Black Sea near the Ukrainian port of Odesa, Russian news agency Interfax reported this morning. asserted
Interfax → say → Odesa
Russia's defence ministry claimed the vessel was carrying military cargo. asserted
vessel → claim → cargo
Moscow warehouse burns as Ukraine drone crews prepare to strike again asserted
crews → burn → ?
A massive retail logistics centre on the outskirts of Moscow remained in flames on Sunday morning following an overnight strike by waves of Ukrainian drones, sending thick dark smoke into the sky. asserted
centre → remain → sky
Hundreds of miles from the scene, Ukrainian drone operators had barely paused after their night operations before preparing for another attack. asserted
operators → pause → attack
In a sunflower field in southern Ukraine, a small unit of troops gathered around 20 small, plane-like drones packed with explosives, swiftly launching them towards targets in Russia. asserted
unit → gather → Russia
The operation by Ukraine’s 413th "Raid" Unmanned Systems Regiment was witnessed by journalists, offering a rare look into a rapidly expanding element of Kyiv’s military capabilities. asserted
operation → witness → capabilities
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