Russia's battered ruble melted by 34% in 6 months due to low oil prices, reaching a new all time low against the dollar.The Russian currency stood on Wednesday at 72.93 against the dollar, down from 72.46 on Monday.The slide in oil prices and Western sanctions over Moscow's role in the Ukraine crisis have pummelled the oil-dependent Russian economy in recent months.At his annual press conference earlier this month President Vladimir Putin assured the country could weather the headwinds, despite volatility in oil prices. The ruble lost around half of its value in 2014 but recovered slightly as energy prices stabilised this year, allowing officials to claim the worst of the crisis had passed.