Explainer: Russia faces a raft of external debt payments – Reuters

Explainer: Russia faces a raft of external debt payments – Reuters

LONDON, March 21 (Reuters) - Russia is due to make another dollar-denominated payment to bondholders on Monday after last week defying fears it might not be able or willing to do so, following Western countries' unprecedented sanctions over Moscow's actions in Ukraine. read more

Paying external holders last week means Russiaswerved its first default, for now, since a 1998 financial crisis and its first on international bonds since the 1917 revolution, when the Bolsheviks repudiated obligations of the Tsarist government.

But with Russia due to repay another $66 million on Monday and a total of $4.7 billion between now and year end, there are further tests to come.