An employee counts Russian ruble banknotes at a private company's office in Krasnoyarsk, Siberia, December 17, 2014
- The Russian ruble fell past the 100-per-dollar threshold early Tuesday.
- When it last broke this barrier in mid-August, Russia's central bank hiked rates sharply.
- The ruble's late slide comes as Russia's balance of payments has deteriorated.
The ruble is once again retesting summer lows, falling past the 100-per-dollar barrier that has been a major concern in the past.
The currency fell to 100.255 against the greenback early Tuesday, though it has since edged back up to a 99.55 level.