Russian cenbank says no risk of deflation, will use regular tools

FILE PHOTO: National flag flies over the Russian Central Bank headquarters in Moscow

(Reuters) - The Russian central bank can use standard instruments to decide monetary policy as there is no risk of deflation, Central Bank Deputy Governor Alexei Zabotkin said on Friday.

Week-on-week consumer prices have fallen in Russia in recent weeks.

The central bank cut its key interest rate to the pre-crisis level of 9.5% last week and kept the door open to further easing as year-on-year inflation slowed, while noting uncertainty related to external risks such as the Western embargo on Russian oil.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by John Stonestreet)