Oil rises in choppy trade, rouble hits 15month low
Gold climbss above 1,930 an ounce
Defence stocks under pressure in Europe

LONDON, June 26 Reuters Global shares fell while gold rose after an aborted uprising by Russian mercenaries raised questions about the strength of President Vladimir Putin39;s grip on power, leaving investors little option but to focus on the broader macroeconomic picture.

The MSCI AllWorld index was last down 0.l, led by declines in Europe, where defence stocks weighed on the STOXX 600, which fell 0.3.

Gold , often perceived as a safe haven in times of geopolitical or market turmoil, rose 0.6 to 1,932 an ounce.

Brent crude futures rose 0.5 to 74.26 a barrel, having earlier fetched as much as 74.80. The rouble dropped by as much as 3 to a 15month low earlier in Moscow.

Russian mercenaries mounted a shortlived rebellion on Saturday, seizing the southern city of Rostov and advancing on Moscow demanding the removal of Russian military commanders in charge of the war in Ukraine.

The armed mutiny over the weekend by the powerful Wagner Group and its abrupt ending with no apparent penalties for the perpetrators or their leader was followed on Monday by official moves to return the country to normal.

The consequences for Russia39;s 16monthold invasion of Ukraine were not clear, though the challenge to Putin39;s authority was the starkest in decades of his leadership.

With little in the way of concrete cues for markets, investors stuck to their…