Russia's National Wealth Fund (NWF), which accumulates the country's oil revenues, rose slightly to $155.2 billion in March after falling in the previous month, finance ministry data showed on Monday.

The NWF, originally designed to help balance the pension system, stood at 9.8% of gross domestic product projected in 2022 as of April 1, up from 9.7%, or $154.8 billion, a month earlier.

Authorities have extensive plans for using NWF money this year, planning to channel it on supporting the value of stocks and government bonds that have shrunk sharply since late February.

The NWF stood at $175 billion in early February before Moscow started what calls its "special operation" in Ukraine on Feb. 24, prompting Western sanctions against Russia and a sell-off on the stock market, in which NWF money was invested.

(Reporting by Reuters; editing by John Stonestreet)