The Government of Ukraine says it has evidence that four Russian banks are involved in funding pro-Russian separatists allegedly involved in violence in Eastern Ukraine. Ukraine's chief prosecutor said he has launched an investigation into Sberbank for funding separatists. Ukrainian Government officials claimed that a bank owned by Russia's energy giant Gazprom is also under investigation. According to Ukrainian activists, VTB Bank and Prominvestbank also support separatists.

Business & Human Rights Resource Centre invited three banks (Sberbank, VTB Bank and Prominvestbank) and Gazprom to respond to the following items:

- Kyiv: Russian banks fund separatists, Voice of America, 17 April 2014

- [Russian]  Киев обвинил российские банки в финансировании сепаратистов, Голос Америки, 18 апреля 2014 года

- [Russian] В Киеве снова пикетируют российские банки, Forbes Украина, 24 апреля 2014 года

We received the following responses:

Sberbank response:

Statement by Sberbank of Russia, Sberbank of Russia, 17 April 2014

VTB Bank response:

[Russian] Официальное сообщение ВТБ Банка, ВТБ Банк, 16 апреля 2014 года

Prominvestbank response:

[Russian] Комментарий к публикации «В Киеве снова пикетируют российские банки», ПАО «Проминвестбанк»,  24 апреля 2014 года

Gazprom did not respond.