Kremlin bots spin rouble slump as 'non-issue' in VK effort
Kremlin bots have launched an offensive to persuade users of the social network VKontakte that the sharp decline in the rouble's value does not impact the Russian economy, reported the Moscow Times on Friday, citing data from the Botnadzor team.
Since 25 November, when the rouble began to fall sharply, bots linked to the Russian authorities have posted about 600 comments on the VKontakte social network. They argue that currency exchange rate changes do not affect Russians' daily lives.
"Why do we even need that currency? If the rate jumped up, it will fall too," the comments read. The bots recalled the situation from 2022, when the exchange rate was 100 roubles to one dollar, before later dropping to about 60 roubles.
The rouble dives
Another theme spread by the bots was emphasising the role of the rouble in international settlements. They claimed that Russia conducts trade with "friendly" countries in roubles, and some Western countries pay for Russian resources in this currency. "What does the dollar have to do with this? Is the world economy based on it? (...) 85% of payments are made in national currencies, the West has long been buying our resources in roubles," the propaganda accounts argued.
On 27 November, the dollar's exchange rate on the Forex market in Russia approached 115 roubles, and the euro exceeded 120 roubles. In response to these fluctuations, the Central Bank of Russia set the official exchange rates for Friday: the dollar was priced at 109.5 roubles and the euro at 116.14 roubles. As reported on money.pl, the fall of the rouble also influenced the yuan's rate. On 27 November, "the Chinese currency strengthened by 0.4961 points to 14.9572 roubles, marking an increase of 3.43% compared to Tuesday's close. This is the most substantial one-day weakening of the Russian currency against the yuan in many months."
Anatoly Aksakov, the head of the State Duma Committee on the Financial Market, pointed to new U.S. sanctions as the reason for the rouble's decline.
- The sanctions list included 50 credit institutions. As a result, the circulation of foreign currency through the accounts of these banks is now practically not conducted - he explained.
Botnadzor, whose data the Moscow Times refers to, is a team researching Russian propaganda and bot activity on the Russian internet.
