MOSCOW: The Russian rouble was little changed on Wednesday, stabilising with the oil price and largely ignoring geopolitical risks linked to Turkey's downing of a Russian jet on Tuesday.
At 0745 GMT, the rouble was 0.1 percent stronger against the dollar at 65.41 but down 0.3 percent to 69.85 versus the euro.
Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was unchanged at $46.1 a barrel.
The rouble had fallen on Tuesday immediately after the incident with the Russian jet but subsequently regained ground to end the day stronger than its opening, helped by a firming oil price.
"The influence of such incidents on the local foreign exchange market and the commodities markets is limited," Rosbank analysts said in a note. "At the same time a relative weakening may await the rouble after the end of the tax period."
The rouble typically strengthens near the end of every month as companies convert forex earnings into roubles to pay taxes, only to weaken after taxes are paid. Several major taxes fall due today.
Russian share indexes rebounded on Wednesday after sliding on Tuesday.
The dollar-denominated RTS index was up 1.5 percent to 881 points, while the rouble-based MICEX was 1.1 percent higher at 1,881 points.
Shares in top bank Sberbank outperformed, rising 1.7 percent in rouble terms, after the bank reported better-than-expected third quarter results.
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