Russian officials are meeting today to discuss how to divide 245 billion roubles that have been set aside for "anti-crisis efforts" in 2010. According to First Deputy Prime Minister Igor Shuvalov, 195 billion rubles were already designated, added to which will be 50 billion roubles from this year that were not used.
Shuvalov told reporters that [...]

The Russian unemployment rate rose to a four-month high in November, while retail sales fell 1.3 per cent from October. The latter marked the first monthly decline since April, though analysts note that the figures fell at a slower annual pace since a strong rouble made imports cheaper and stimulated household spending.
Further data from [...]

Russia's authorities have been praised by the International Monetary Fund (IMF) for their handling of the financial crisis, but it suggests the central bank should be more aggressive in fighting inflation.
In a statement, the IMF predicts the Russian economy will expand at a pace of 3.5 per cent next year, though it warns that bad [...]

Higher oil prices and indications of ongoing energy demand in China saw Russia's rouble firm over one per cent against its euro-dollar basket today.
Analysts noted a shift in the "risk tone" as concern over Dubai's debt crisis eased, while a rise in emerging equities was also recorded.
The rouble gained 1.3 per cent against its euro-dollar [...]

Dropping oil prices and the rouble's depreciation against the US dollar have seen the profits of Russia's second largest oil producer fall by 40 per cent between July and September. Lukoil had predicted a drop, but a smaller one.
While analysts previously polled by Reuters on the matter had forecast that the company's net profit would [...]

The price of crude oil dropped below $78 dollar a barrel on Wednesday (2nd December), prompting the rouble to fall to its weakest level of the week. It closed at 36.0044 roubles versus the dollar-euro currency basket.
An unexpected build in US crude stocks brought on the dip in oil's value, and it came on the [...]

Russia's central bank lent all of the five billion roubles it had available to commercial banks this week, providing three-month, collateral-free loans at an average rate of 13 per cent.
Introduced last October, the regulator's loans are intended to help increase liquidity in Russia's banking system.
Banks in the country bid for more than 15 billion roubles [...]