Feb 3 Reuters Russia39;s finance ministry said on Friday it would sell 8.9 billion roubles 126.6 million worth of foreign currency a day between Feb. 7 and March 6, an almost threefold increase in the volume of daily operations from the previous month.

After a monthslong hiatus, Russia resumed foreign currency interventions in January, selling yuan rather than what it terms unfriendly Western currencies, underscoring the growing importance of China39;s currency in Moscow39;s efforts to ensure economic stability amid sanctions.

The finance ministry said its regular FX sales on the market will total 160.2 billion roubles 2.28 billion over the coming month. A Reuters survey of analysts had predicted they would total 79.75 billion roubles.

Between Jan. 13 and Feb. 6, the ministry had planned to sell 54.5 billion roubles worth of yuan, to compensate for lower oil and gas revenues.

Russia halted FX interventions last year as Western nations imposed sweeping sanctions against Moscow, included the freezing of about 300 billion in foreign exchange reserves, after it launched what it calls its special military operation in Ukraine.

The government carries out FX interventions to cover shortfalls or build up reserves in the case of a surplus in earnings from Moscow39;s vital oil and gas exports.

The finance ministry said it received 52.1 billion roubles 741 million less in revenue on oil and gas sales in January than it expected, citing lower export duties on gas during the…