The Moscow Exchange Index (IMOEX) hit its lowest level in a year and a half amid reports of large-scale attacks on targets within Russia and statements by U.S. President Donald Trump regarding the possible reinstatement of sanctions against Russian oil. This was reported by Novyny.LIVE and cited by Dengi.ua.
According to the publication, on June 18, investors reacted negatively to reports of damage to infrastructure in the Moscow region. Against this backdrop, the value of securities issued by leading Russian energy companies began to decline.
Specifically, Rosneft shares lost 2.61%, Lukoil fell by 1.59%, Tatneft dropped by 2.03%, and Gazprom decreased by 1.44%. At the same time, the Moscow Exchange index dropped another 1.12%, hitting an 18-month low.
Statements made the previous day by U.S. President Donald Trump put additional pressure on the market. According to media reports, these statements concern plans to reinstate sanctions against the Russian oil sector following the end of a temporary pause related to the situation surrounding Iran.
Following these statements, the Russian market had already shown a significant decline. At the close of trading on June 17, the Moscow Exchange Index lost more than 2%, and shares of the largest oil companies fell by several percent. Tatneft and Rosneft shares posted the sharpest declines that day.
Experts note that investors had been counting on a market recovery following earlier signals of a possible easing of sanctions pressure. However, new geopolitical risks and worsening expectations regarding the oil sector intensified the sell-off.
According to the publication, the Russian stock market has already lost about 3 trillion rubles in market capitalization since the beginning of 2026. At the same time, the total value of Russian companies’ shares has fallen to about 20% of the country’s GDP, which is considered one of the lowest levels in recent decades.
