The Bank of Russia has cut its gold reserves by roughly 62 tonnes over nine months, counted from December 2025. The reduction shows the central bank has been selling rather than adding to its bullion stockpile during that period. For years Russia stood among the steady buyers of gold, so a drawdown of this scale marks a clear change of direction. Precious metal had long been a pillar of the country's reserves, kept partly as a hedge against currency swings and outside pressure. The figure of about 62 tonnes is not small; it represents a meaningful slice of what sits in a national gold vault. The nine-month window covers most of a year, which suggests a sustained effort rather than a one-off sale. The report does not spell out the reasons or the parties behind the disposals, leaving analysts to fill in the gaps. Watchers of the gold market will be looking at whether the trend continues into the next reporting period.