The Russian Central Bank announced that the country's gold and foreign exchange reserves reached 686.4 billion USD as of August 8, 2025, up 10 billion USD compared to a week earlier.
According to August 1, Russia's international reserves are at 676.4 billion USD. This reserve includes foreign currency reserves, Special Directorate (SDR), reserve position at the International Monetary Fund (IMF) and gold reserves.
International reserves are highly liquid foreign exchange assets held by the Central Bank and the Russian Government. This is considered Russia's financial "shield" against economic fluctuations and global currency markets.
Since Russia launched a special military operation in Ukraine, Western countries have imposed a series of sanctions targeting the Russian Central Bank.
These include freezing about $300 billion in Russian assets, banning all conservation and asset management activities as well as transactions with any legal entity representing or following the direction of the Russian Central Bank.
Russian President Vladimir Putin has strongly opposed the blockade and use of Russian assets. In a recent speech, he called this an act of "theft".
Mr. Putin warned that if the assets are seized, Russia will take retaliatory measures commensurate with the Western investments and assets present in Russia. At the same time, this will prompt Moscow to continue to shift away from Western financial systems, prioritizing regional payment mechanisms and new partners.
