"Information on the suspension of (retail clients credit) is not true," Morozov said, adding that the bank continues to see mortgages as a priority and that its subsidiary Cetelem grants auto loans.

RIA news agency reported earlier on Monday, citing a person at the bank's call-centre, that Sberbank suspended until the end of February the taking of new requests from retail clients on loans for automobiles and mortgages.

(Reporting by Oksana Kobzeva; Writing by Polina Devitt, Editing by Thomas Grove)