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The rouble weakened on Monday, sliding to 62 against the dollar for the first time in nearly three weeks, while Russian stocks dived lower on intensifying geopolitical risks and a sharp drop in Gazprom shares as it started trading ex-dividend.
Geopolitics and sanctions risks have buffeted Russian markets in recent weeks since President Vladimir Putin moved to annex four regions of Ukraine after Moscow held what it called referendums - votes that were denounced by Kyiv and Western governments as illegal and coercive.
Explosions rocked Kyiv on Monday, two days after a powerful blast on the weekend damaged the bridge linking Russia and the Crimean peninsula that Moscow annexed in 2014.
By 0735 GMT, the rouble was 1.2% weaker against the dollar at 61.72, earlier hitting 62 for the first time since Sept. 21.
It had lost 0.5% to trade at 60.17 versus the euro and had shed 1.2% against the yuan to 8.60 .
"(The rouble's) weakening may have been facilitated by the conversion of bond payments into foreign currency and geopolitical news," said Dmitry Polevoy, head of investment at Locko Invest.
Russian stock markets opened at their lowest in months, dragged lower by a more than 20% slump in Gazprom shares, which led the Moscow Exchange to stage a discrete auction of the energy giant's shares.
The rouble-based MOEX Russian index was 4.9% lower at 1,849.7 points, earlier hitting its weakest since Feb. 24, the day Moscow sent troops into Ukraine, of 1,775.04 points.
The dollar-denominated RTS index was down 6.1% to 943.5 points, earlier clipping its lowest point since April 19.
Veles Capital analysts said geopolitics and the dividend cut-offs by Gazprom and oil company Tatneft would see downward pressure on Russian stocks remain.
Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's main export, was down 0.2% at $97.7 a barrel, having earlier touched a more than one-month high. (Reporting by Alexander Marrow; Editing by Stephen Coates and Hugh Lawson)