Economist confirms what think-tanks have said: Russia is using gold as its mineral for investment and trade as if its own "money"

 See Economist, December 3rd issue, pp. 64-65.  It is the "money" in financial transactions that may be inadequately recorded.

And thus, there may be no reliable knowledge of what Russia is paying for whatever it has in gold, taken from its own mines, the world over and bartered!  That is to say, the sanctions of the West pertaining to Russia's payments from its gold reserve may be ineffectual: Data regarding the value of Russia's gold may not be dependable.

For example, Putin's friend is helping mine precious minerals of the Central African Republic by using Russian mercenaries, no doubt providing Russia with a storehouse of minerals to take home!  (See Economist, December 3 2022 issue, p. 10.)