MOSCOW: The Russian rouble slipped further against the dollar and yuan on Thursday but was trading just above two-week lows, while recovering slightly against the euro.

Traders said the rouble was still weighed down by expectations that exporters would reduce foreign currency sales after meeting their end-of-month tax payments.

They said another factor was a reduction in sales of dollars and euros as a consequence of pricing Russian raw material exports in other currencies, something Moscow is encouraging as part of its response to Western sanctions.

By 0947 GMT, the rouble was 0.2% weaker against the dollar at 96.44 but 0.2% firmer at 105.08 versus the euro. It shed 0.2% against the yuan to 13.20.

It had earlier touched its weakest levels since Aug. 16 - 96.66 per dollar, 105.60 per euro and 13.22 per yuan.

Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia’s main export, was up 0.26% at $86.08 a barrel.

Shares were firmer, with the dollar-denominated RTS stock index up 0.3% at 1,055 points while the rouble-based MOEX Russian index rose 0.5% to 3,229 points.