Rouble also weakens against yuan, most traded foreign currency in Russia
US imposed more sanctions on Russia on Friday
Finance ministry announcement on Friday supported the rouble

MOSCOW, Jan 13 Reuters The Russian rouble eased against the U.S. dollar and China39;s yuan on Monday as rising oil prices and increased forex sales by the state cushioned the impact of new U.S. sanctions designed to curb Russia39;s oil and gas revenue.

The rouble was down 0.7 at 102.45 against the dollar by 1000 GMT, overthecounter market data showed. The rouble weakened 0.8 to 13.81 against the yuan in trading on the Moscow Stock Exchange MOEX.

The yuan has become the most traded foreign currency in Russia, with China using it to pay for energy imports from Russia.

The U.S. Treasury on Jan. 10 imposed sanctions on Russian oil producers Gazprom Neft and Surgutneftegaz, as well as 183 vessels that have shipped Russian oil. Oil prices have since risen above 81 a barrel, the highest in more than four months.

The rouble drew support from an announcement by the Finance Ministry on Friday that implied net forex sales by the state would rise by almost one third to 4.76 billion roubles 46.42 million per day from Jan. 15.

Under a complex scheme of foreign currency operations, the central bank buys and sells forex to ensure supply on the domestic market and to act on behalf of the finance ministry, which runs the rainy day National Wealth Fund NWF.

The central bank cannot buy and sell dollars…