MOSCOW, Oct 17 (Reuters) - The Russian rouble continued

to weaken against the U.S. dollar, gradually approaching the 100

mark, but strengthened against China's yuan and the euro,

reflecting current trends on the global forex market.

At 0730 GMT, the rouble was down 0.41% to 97.10 against the

dollar in the over-the-counter (OTC) market, after

touching 99.12 on Oct. 15, the weakest since October 2023,

according to data compiled by LSEG.

The rouble was up 0.12% at 13.33 against the yuan,

according to LSEG data.

Western sanctions, introduced on the Moscow Stock Exchange

(MOEX) and its clearing agent, the National Clearing Centre, on

June 12, stopped all trade in dollars and euros at MOEX, making

China's yuan the most-traded foreign currency in Russia.

Trade in dollars and euros has shifted to the

over-the-counter (OTC) market, obscuring price data.

The rouble is supported by increased sales of yuan by the

state this month as well as by expectations of a key interest

rate hike by the central bank at the Oct. 25 rate-setting

meeting.

"The currency market is inherently volatile, there can be

sudden fluctuations with significant rate deviations, but the

fair value of the rouble by the end of the year is estimated to

be higher," said BCS brokerage analysts, who are expecting the

rouble at 94 to the dollar by the end of 2024.

One-day rouble-dollar futures, which trade on the Moscow

exchange and are a guide for OTC market rates, were up 0.23% at

96.58. The central bank's official exchange rate, which it

calculates using OTC data, was set at 97.26 to the dollar.

The rouble strengthened 0.46% to 105.42 against the euro

, LSEG data showed.

Brent crude oil, a global benchmark for Russia's

main export, was down 0.16% at $74.10 a barrel.