# Serbia shuts Alta Bank, leaving thousands of Russian emigrants scrambling for frozen savings

https://mins.news/en/item/125366

- Meduza, 2026-11-02 11:44 UTC
- Economy
- Original: https://meduza.io/en/feature/2026/11/02/i-have-two-days-until-the-food-in-my-fridge-runs-out-thousands-of-russian-emigrants-left-scrambling-after-serbia-shuts-down-alta-bank-freezing-their-savings

> Serbia’s central bank revoked Alta Bank’s license on October 30, freezing customers’ accounts. Many Russian emigrants had deposited proceeds from property sales in Russia or received salaries through the bank. Authorities promised to return up to 50,000 euros in insured deposits, but the fate of the rest is unclear. One customer said the family had about 70,000 euros in its account and could neither withdraw nor transfer the money.