A deputy head of the central bank's regional branch in the city of Blagoveshchensk mowed down two women and one man at the bank's offices before committing suicide, a spokesman for the region's investigative committee Alexei Lubinsky told Interfax news agency.

Russia's Central Bank head office in Moscow confirmed to AFP in an emailed comment that a "terrible tragedy" had occurred and offered condolences to the families of the slain employees.

"We consider what happened in Blagoveshchensk to have been a terrible tragedy," first deputy chairman Georgy Luntovsky said in the statement.

"Right now security officials are working at the scene to determine all of the circumstances," he said.

Russia's LifeNews website reported that the shooter, a man named Vladimir Levkin, was motivated by revenge after his colleagues voted to fire him as part of the bank's policy to lay off some of its staff.

The report said Levkin used a hunting rifle to commit the murders. (+++++)

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