Russian stocks largely shrugged off threats of further sanctions from the West on March 6, making gains after previously sliding earlier in the day amid threats of further sanctions from the West, while the Ruble stabilized. The dollar-denominated RTS index fell to 979.34 points before reducing losses and adding 0.4 percent on the day to 1,008.9 points by 07.49 am (GMT). Its ruble-denominated MOEX Russian index also gained 0.4 percent to 2,674.1, although that figure is still significantly far off from an all-time high of 4,292.68 it reached in October. Shares in Russia’s second-largest oil company, Lukoil, also jumped 3.5 percent higher, outperforming the broader market. The oil giant is the first major Russian firm to speak out against Putin’s decision to invade its neighbor. Its peer Gazprom Neft,  the third-largest oil producer in Russia, added 2.5 percent. However, state-owned bank Sberbank lost 2.2 percent, while sanctioned Russian lender VTB lost 3.4 percent, a day after it made coupon payments in rubles on its …