The country’s holdings rose by more than $5 billion over a two-week period, official data shows Russia has continued to boost its foreign currency reserves, which reached $598.5 billion as of January 5, according to the country’s central bank. This represents an increase of $5.1 billion in the two-week period since December 22.

India’s state-run refiner, Hindustan Petroleum Corporation (HPCL), has bought two million barrels of Russian oil for loading in May, as the country’s refiners step up efforts to secure crude from Moscow at a discount, regional media reported on Thursday.

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