At 0748 GMT, the rouble was 0.12pc weaker against the dollar at 64.47 while it remained largely steady against the euro, up 0.02pc at 71.80.

The weakening against the dollar reversed much of Wednesday's gains made after Russia's Finance Ministry sold $1.44 billion in rouble-denominated OFZ bonds which have received significant foreign demand this year.

"We still see general investor feeling towards the whole group of emerging market currencies as the main driver for the rouble," Mikhail Poddubsky, an analyst at Promsvyazbank, wrote in a note.

Global investment sentiment has been clouded after China warned of difficult times ahead due to its trade dispute with the United States.

In Britain, Prime Minister Theresa May was under intense pressure to name a date for her departure after her final Brexit gambit failed, overshadowing a European election that will show a United Kingdom still riven by divisions over its EU divorce.

Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was down 0.66pc at $70.52 a barrel.

Russian stock indexes were down.

The dollar-denominated RTS index was down 0.94pc to 1,281 points.

The rouble-based MOEX Russian index was 0.65pc lower at 2,621 points.