Russia’s rouble fell more than 5 percent in the first two hours of trading on Thursday, to hit a new record low of Rbs85.97 to the dollar amid a global slump in oil prices. Russia’s economy is suffering considerably from the global fall in oil prices, which has sparked widespread predictions of a second straight year of recession. This week, the International Monetary Fund forecast a 1 percent contraction in gross domestic product on the back of the weaker oil price. Koon Chow, foreign exchange strategist at Union Bancaire Privée, said: “The rouble has been forced to do a lot of heavy lifting for the Russian economy because as oil prices drop, the negative impact, especially on public sector revenues and finances, increases.”