Russia's central bank sold about 22 tons of gold since January 2026 to help cover a 4.6 trillion ruble ($61.3 billion) budget deficit, with trading volumes surging as the government scrambles for cash amid reduced oil and gas revenues. This is real — Moscow Exchange data and official reserve figures confirm the sales, and CNBC reports that central banks globally are shifting from accumulation to selling as war-driven economic pressure forces them to liquidate assets. The article frames this as Russia's economic vulnerability but doesn't explain that this strategy — central bank gold sales to manage deficits — is standard practice even for stable economies, which somewhat overstates the crisis signal. What's missing: the article doesn't compare Russia's current gold reserve position to pre-2022 levels or explain how much selling Russia could sustain before reserves become strategically concerning.