The sale of foreign currencies will be suspended in Russia until September 9, the country’s Central Bank announced in a statement on Wednesday, hit by unprecedented Western sanctions due to Russian military intervention in Ukraine.
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Between March 9 and September 9, 2022, “banks will not be able to sell foreign currency to citizens,” the statement said, adding that Russians will, however, be able to exchange foreign currency for rubles during this period “at any time. any time and in any amount.
The withdrawal of cash from foreign currency accounts opened in Russian banks will also be limited to 10,000 US dollars until September 9, the rest can only be withdrawn in rubles according to the current exchange rate, according to the same source. .
Regardless of the currency of the account, the withdrawal can only be made in US dollars and only at the cash desk, the statement said, indicating that the deadline for any such transaction should be “several days”.
The ruble on Monday broke new historic records of weakness against Western currencies as Russia is hit by unprecedented Western sanctions, which have targeted the Central Bank and the largest Russian banks in particular.
On Tuesday, the Russian economy suffered a new blow, with the embargo decreed by American President Joe Biden on American imports of Russian oil and gas.