A technical failure in payment systems caused widespread disruption across Russia on Friday, creating confusion for shoppers and forcing temporary measures in public services.
The outage affected electronic payments, prompting some retailers and fuel stations to request cash payments for about an hour.
Customers and businesses reported issues linked to Sberbank, the country’s largest lender, as well as problems with QR code transactions.
In Moscow, metro authorities responded by opening turnstiles, allowing passengers to travel free of charge for a limited period due to the payment disruption.
Meanwhile, a regional zoo in the Belgorod Region asked visitors to pay in cash after card payment systems stopped working.
The Central Bank of Russia did not immediately comment on the incident. Sberbank later announced that the issue had been resolved, though it did not provide details بشأن the cause of the disruption.
The exact source of the outage remains unclear, as authorities and financial institutions continue to assess the situation.
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