MOSCOW: The rouble fell on Friday, drifting away from this week’s almost five-month high as market players locked in profits before the weekend, with the Russian currency still buttressed by exporters’ foreign currency sales and high interest rates.

At 0721 GMT the rouble was down 0.7% against the dollar at 89.00, having touched 87.6550 on Tuesday for its strongest since June 30.

It lost 0.6% to 97.11 versus the euro and shed 0.7% against the yuan to 12.43.

“The rouble is down for now ... but by the middle of next week it has a good chance of at least touching the strong support of 85 (to the dollar),” said Alor Broker’s Alexei Antonov.