08/27/1998 07:32:02 RUSSIA'S MICEX SAYS CENTRAL BANK SUSPENDS ALL ROUBLE FOREIGN EXCHANGE TRADE

MOSCOW, Aug 27 (Reuters) - Russia's central bank suspended

foreign exchange trade of the rouble on the Moscow Interbank

Currency Exchange (MICEX) on Thursday after opening trade

showed the currency was headed for a sharp drop.

Traders at MICEX had bid 8.2 roubles to dollar against

offers of 9.5 roubles to the dollar, while the central bank had

set its official daily rate, and the starting rate for exchange

trade, at 7.86 roubles to the dollar.