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In January-February inflation added 3.5 percent, also down from 4.2 percent seen the same period last year. Following the financial crisis, last year the rouble lost two-thirds of its value against the dollar and inflation climbed above 100 percent, forcing the central bank to hike the refinancing rate to 45 percent to get a grip on prices. In February, the central bank started to cut its refinancing rate in a move to gradually ease its lending policy, indicating that it believed the worst of the crisis was over.