MOSCOW: The Russian rouble traded stronger early on Thursday, helped by a higher oil price and the approaching end-of-month tax period, but the British vote on whether to leave the European Union meant markets were likely to be volatile.
At 0745 GMT, the rouble was 1 percent stronger against the dollar at 64.26 and had gained 0.8 percent to 72.81 versus the euro.
Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was up 0.5 percent at around $50.1 a barrel.
"Oil prices over $50 a barrel are partly offsetting nervousness because of Brexit," Mark Bradford, an analyst at BCS brokerage, said in a note.
The Russian currency is up around 0.9 percent against the dollar this week but suffered steep losses on Wednesday.
Russian firms will make the bulk of their monthly tax payments early next week. Those payments typically bolster the Russian currency as exporters sell a portion of their foreign-currency revenues to raise roubles.
Russian share indexes were slightly lower on Thursday, reflecting wobbles elsewhere on global markets linked to the Brexit referendum.
The dollar-denominated RTS index was down 0.2 percent to 925 points, while the rouble-based MICEX was 0.4 percent lower at 1,888 points.
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