In the evening, the ruble showed renewed strength as trading progressed. By 18:32 Moscow time, the ruble had firmed to 96.31 per dollar, up 1.16 percent from the previous level. A little later, around 18:59, the dollar price slipped to 97.09 rubles. These movements are reflected in data from the Moscow Exchange.
Meanwhile, the ruble rose against the euro, gaining 1.6 percent to reach 105.34 rubles per euro. By 18:59, the euro stood at 106.01 rubles. The Russian currency also weakened against the yuan, which traded at about 13.2 rubles—down roughly 1.35 percent. At the close, the yuan managed a small rebound, finishing near 13.25 rubles after adding about five kopecks from the session low.
Today’s session marked a second period of ruble appreciation within a single trading day. At the outset of August 15 trading, the U.S. dollar faced a pronounced decline, dropping 5.18 percent to around 92.6 rubles. The euro also eased, slipping about 2.89 percent to roughly 104 rubles in the morning moves.
Notable rate shifts were driven by the extraordinary meeting of Russia’s central bank. The policy committee raised the key rate by more than 350 basis points, lifting it to 12 percent to curb inflation risks and safeguard price stability. In an expanded statement issued after the decision, the regulator signaled that it could tighten policy further if warranted by evolving conditions.
A former economist outlined which segments of the population would be directly affected by the rate increase, detailing how households and borrowers might experience higher borrowing costs and adjustments in expenditures. The commentary underscored that the move aims to anchor inflation expectations and support monetary durability amid shifting market dynamics.