The Russian rouble extended gains slightly amid thin trade and higher oil prices on Thursday, holding at the strongest level since mid-2018.
At 0716 GMT, the rouble was 0.13% stronger against the dollar at 61.77 and had gained 0.28% to trade at 68.49 versus the euro.
Oil prices rose on Thursday, buoyed by a potential breakthrough in the China-US trade war and OPEC-led efforts to constrain supply. Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was up 0.37% at $67.5 a barrel.
Most of European markets were closed over the Christmas holiday period, reducing activity in the Russian market as well. Trade in Russia is expected to become even thinner in the approach to the New Year and Russian Orthodox Christmas holidays from Jan. 1-8.
Earlier in December, the rouble was supported by a tax payment period which resulted in Russian exporters converting some of their dollars to the rouble.
The rouble-based MOEX Russian index fell by 0.2% to 3,025.47, pressed down by a 3% decline in shares of the mining giant Norilsk Nickel.
The dollar-denominated RTS index was unchanged at 1,543.01 points.
Russia's second largest lender VTB, shipping giant Sovcomflot and Novorossiisk Commercial Sea Port were included in the list of companies to be privatised in 2020 to 2022, the economy ministry said on Wednesday.
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