That's a nice life hack. If you forbid anyone from selling a currency, the data will prove that it's holding its value just fine!
Operative words there 'foreigners' and 'securities', not 'Russians' and 'Rubles'.
It's truly amazing what you can get done with few hours of spare time and a central bank.
This is about securities not Ruble
The Moscow Exchange is insignificant compared to major global FX markets. Close to half of all currency trading on the planet happens in London, and CME is the biggest marketplace for futures. There isn't a whole lot the Central Bank of Russia can do right now considering its own foreign reserves are frozen.
I am not sure what the price of ruble has to do with the Moscow market. These days forex is pretty much traded 24/7. If they are pulling these cheap tricks, there's even more reason for uncertainties surrounding their currency.
No, it's not. Currency futures have proven time after time to be nearly perfect reflections of actual forex movement.