Moscow, Sept. 8 (Petra) -- Russia’s international reserves increased by 6.8 percent during August to reach approximately $769 billion, rising by about $49 billion compared to their end-of-July level, the Central Bank of the Russian Federation announced on Tuesday.

In a statement, the central bank said international reserves comprise highly liquid foreign assets and monetary gold held by the central bank and the Russian government. The holdings serve as a primary indicator of the country's external financial strength.

//Petra// AF