Russia’s central bank has closed five of the country’s small banks in the first three weeks of August, repeatedly citing what it said were major breaches of the law by the institutions’ owners.

Over the same period, the Bank of Russia has also officially reported alleged criminal activities by the owners of four more commercial banks it had shut down. The central bank resisted an attempt last month by the country’s criminal prosecutor to overrule its closure of a larger bank, Yugra, which it