Moscow payment system problem causes chaos

A widespread issue with payment systems disrupted services in Moscow on Friday, causing significant inconvenience for shoppers and travelers. The disruption led to fare-free entry at metro stations and prompted a regional zoo to request cash payments. The exact cause of the system failure remains unclear, but reports indicate problems with Sberbank, the nation's largest bank, and QR code payment methods. The outage lasted for approximately an hour, affecting various retail and service points across the city.