Russia's central bank sets dollar rate below 82 rubles for first time since August
In short
The Bank of Russia set its official dollar rate for 22 October at 81.97 rubles, down 0.91 rubles, and the euro at 91.93 rubles. Vedomosti and Kommersant said it was the first time since 7 August that the dollar was set below 82 rubles. Vedomosti said the talks in St Petersburg between Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff could have influenced the ruble's strengthening.
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The Bank of Russia set its official dollar rate for 22 October at 81.97 rubles, TASS and Vedomosti reported. Vedomosti said the regulator lowered it by 0.91 rubles. The official euro rate was set at 91.93 rubles, down 1.11 rubles, and the yuan rate at 12.28 rubles, down 0.09 rubles, according to Vedomosti. Kommersant gave rounded figures of 81.9 rubles for the dollar, 91.9 rubles for the euro, 51.7 rubles for the yen and 12.2 rubles for the yuan. [ 8 , 10 , 11 ]
RBC, Vedomosti and Kommersant said the dollar fell below 82 rubles for the first time since August. Vedomosti and Kommersant put the previous such level on 7 August; Kommersant gave that rate as 81.4 rubles. [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]
The rate had been just above that level in the preceding days. The dollar rate for 20 October was set at 82.85 rubles, down 76.73 kopecks, according to RIA Novosti, with the euro at 93.2316 rubles and the yuan at 12.3869 rubles. RBC said this was below 83 rubles for the first time in two months. For 21 October, TASS reported the dollar rate was raised to 82.89 rubles while the euro rate was lowered to 93.04 rubles. RBC said the dollar stayed below 83 rubles. [ 1 , 2 , 3 , 5 , 6 ]
Vedomosti said the dollar on Forex stood at 81.9 rubles, down 0.65%, or 0.54 rubles, over the day. It said the talks in St Petersburg between Russian President Vladimir Putin and US presidential envoy Steve Witkoff could have influenced the ruble's strengthening. During the meeting the American side said it would provide documents setting out its approaches to a settlement in Ukraine, Vedomosti reported. [ 10 ]
Kommersant reported that the central bank's daily purchases of foreign currency are 12.1 billion rubles, which it described as six times the volume in September. It also cited a figure of 23 billion rubles a day alongside a maximum since January 2022. [ 11 ]
RBC noted that the official dollar and euro rates are used, among other things, for settling contracts on the Moscow Exchange derivatives market. RIA Novosti said the dollar rate is calculated from credit institutions' reports on interbank conversion operations on the over-the-counter currency market. It added that since 8 June 2026 the Bank of Russia has calculated the euro rate from the dollar rate and the European Central Bank's euro-dollar rate. [ 2 , 3 , 6 , 9 ]
Why it matters
The official dollar and euro rates are used, among other things, for settling contracts on the Moscow Exchange derivatives market, according to RBC. Kommersant reported that the central bank's daily foreign currency purchases stand at 12.1 billion rubles, which it described as six times the September volume.
Key facts
- The Bank of Russia set the official dollar rate for 22 October at 81.97 rubles, down 0.91 rubles. [ 8 , 10 ]
- The official euro rate for 22 October is 91.93 rubles, down 1.11 rubles; the yuan rate is 12.28 rubles, down 0.09 rubles. [ 8 , 10 ]
- Vedomosti and Kommersant said the dollar was last set below 82 rubles on 7 August; Kommersant gave that rate as 81.4 rubles. [ 10 , 11 ]
- The official dollar rate for 21 October was 82.89 rubles and the euro rate 93.04 rubles. [ 5 , 10 ]
- The official dollar rate for 20 October was 82.85 rubles, and RBC said it was below 83 rubles for the first time in two months. [ 1 , 2 , 3 ]
- Kommersant reported the central bank's foreign currency purchases at 12.1 billion rubles a day, six times the September volume. [ 11 ]
Confirmed by several sources
- The Bank of Russia set the official dollar rate for 22 October at 81.97 rubles and the euro rate at 91.93 rubles. [ 8 , 10 , 11 ]
- The dollar rate for 22 October is the first below 82 rubles since August. [ 9 , 10 , 11 ]
- The official dollar rate for 20 October was 82.85 rubles and the euro rate 93.23 rubles. [ 1 , 3 ]
- The official dollar rate for 21 October was 82.89 rubles and the euro rate 93.04 rubles. [ 5 , 10 ]
Still unclear
- What drove the ruble's strengthening. Only Vedomosti offered a possible reason, saying the St Petersburg talks between Vladimir Putin and Steve Witkoff could have had an influence; it did not state this as established.
- The meaning of the 23 billion rubles a day figure in Kommersant's report on central bank currency purchases. Kommersant gave 12.1 billion rubles a day as the current volume and, in the same sentence, 23 billion rubles a day alongside a maximum since January 2022, without making clear what the second figure refers to.
What local media are saying
Timeline, local time
- TASS reported the dollar rate for 20 October at 82.85 rubles (published 19 October). [ 1 ]
- RBC reported the dollar below 83 rubles for the first time in two months (published 19 October). [ 2 ]
- TASS reported the dollar rate for 21 October at 82.89 rubles (published 20 October). [ 5 ]
- TASS reported the dollar rate for 22 October at 81.97 rubles (published 21 October). [ 8 ]
- Vedomosti reported the dollar below 82 rubles for the first time since 7 August (published 21 October). [ 10 ]
- Kommersant reported the dollar below 82 rubles for the first time since August (published 21 October). [ 11 ]