08/20/1998 13:13:20 Russian c.bank says some major banks may fail soon

MOSCOW, Aug 20 (Reuters) - Russian Central Bank First Deputy

Chairman Sergei Aleksashenko said on Thursday that some of the

the country's biggest commercial banks could fail soon following

the latest financial crisis.

"It is quite clear that even some of the biggest, even of

the top 20 Russian banks will fail," he told Reuters Television.

"We feel that some banks have enormous problems. Whether we

shall be able to resolve them? We shall see."