MOSCOW, December 19. /TASS/. Russian stocks extended gains during the main trading session on the Moscow Exchange as President Vladimir Putin’s annual televised Direct Line question-and-answer session started, according to trading data.

As of 12:00 p.m. Moscow time (9:00 a.m. GMT), before the session started, the MOEX and RTS indices were up by 1.12% at 2,783.67 and 1,095.85 points, respectively.

By 12:14 p.m. Moscow time (9:14 a.m. GMT), after the event started, the MOEX was up by 1.16% at 2,784.91 points while the RTS was up by 1.16% at 1,096.22 points.

As of 12:26 p.m. Moscow time (9:26 a.m. GMT), the MOEX was up by 1.02% at 2,781.23 points while the RTS was up by 1.02% at 1,094.77 points.