- Russian markets hit as Putin tightens grip on Crimea: The Moscow stock market fell by 10 percent and the central bank spent $10 billion of its reserves to prop up the rouble as investors took fright at escalating tensions with the West over the former Soviet republic. http://www.reuters.com/article/2014/03/03/us-ukraine-crisis-idusbrea1q1e820140303 9 comments worldnews