According to the expert, the fact that “oil exports dropped significantly last week to 1.6 million barrels per day instead of the previous three” could have led to a decrease in currency sales on the stock exchange.
“On the other hand, before the New Year, foreign currency purchases by importers traditionally grow.
The decrease in shipments is associated with a new package of sanctions (the establishment of the so-called ceiling on prices for shipments by sea), to which suppliers and buyers have not yet adapted sufficiently,” Vashchenko explained.
He believes that "the actual level of the ceiling is higher than current export prices, so the reduction is due to the need to resolve technical issues and is temporary."
“After the restoration of shipment volumes, the volume of sales of foreign currency to the market will also increase.
By the end of the year, we can expect the USD/RUB pair to return to the range of 61-65.
The ruble weakens more against the euro, as the European currency rises in price against the dollar in the FOREX market,” he specified.
Vashchenko added that the main sellers of the euro are gas buyers, they can greatly influence the market.
The euro exchange rate on the Moscow Exchange rose above 75 rubles for the first time since April 29 during trading.