The economist assessed the possibility of a network of "white" ATMs.

By the beginning of 2026, there are only 138 thousand ATMs left in Russia, the minimum since 2010. Banks are shutting down their networks where it is economically unprofitable to maintain ATMs, primarily in small towns, rural areas and hard-to-reach locations. Denis Astafyev, an entrepreneur, fund manager and founder of the SharesPro fintech platform, told Izvestia on March 25.

Earlier, Anatoly Aksakov, chairman of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market, said that a network of "white" ATMs could be created in Russia, which would allow citizens to receive financial services without commission.

According to Astafyev, representatives of such territories face a problem: either go to a large center for cash, or pay increased fees at a "foreign" ATM. A joint ATM infrastructure is being considered as a solution, to which different banks can connect. Customers get the opportunity to withdraw cash without commission, and banks reduce maintenance costs.

"The competition in this segment is more cooperative than competitive. Major players will retain their own networks as points of contact with customers and a sales tool. But medium—sized and regional banks get real benefits from the common infrastructure," the expert explained.

However, Astafyev warned of two risks. The first is operational: how to manage personal limits for customers of different banks on the same device. With increasing demand for cash, ATMs can be emptied by morning. The second is behavioral: free cash withdrawal does not encourage the transition to cashless, but on the contrary.

Nevertheless, the project is assessed as a step towards increasing financial accessibility, rather than fighting the shadow economy. The impact on transaction transparency will be indirect: ATMs solve the problem of geographical accessibility, and the regulator is responsible for controlling large amounts, which is already discussing a limit on depositing cash through ATMs of 1 million rubles per month.

A network of "white ATMs" will be launched in Russia. What you need to know

According to the data of the Bank of Russia dated March 16, the number of ATMs in Russia by the end of 2025 decreased to the lowest level since 2010. So, in 2024, the number of devices decreased by almost 7 thousand, and in 2023, the decrease was about 2.9 thousand ATMs. In general, the number of self-service devices in Russia has been decreasing for about 10 years.

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