Russian finance ministry reverts to forex sales in July

MOSCOW, July 3 (Reuters) - The Russian Finance Ministry announced on Thursday that it plans to sell 18.77 billion roubles ($238.50 million) worth of foreign currency and gold or 0.82 billion roubles a day from the National Wealth Fund (NWF) in the coming month.

The ministry bought 28.3 billion roubles or 1.5 billion roubles a day from June 6 to July 4.

The latest move will increase the state's overall daily net forex sales, which combine forex operations by the ministry and the central bank, to 9.76 billion roubles a day from 7.45 billion roubles a day between July 1 and 4 and 7.36 billion roubles a day in June.

($1 = 78.7000 roubles)