Russia can’t spend its dollars. They would very much like to buy stuff and in the process counter the one way flow of money, but mostly can’t and have to resort to black markets. Of course there’s manipulation, but it isn’t the whole story.

Manipulated in what ways? By whom? Countries such as India happily purchasing energy from RU?

Currency controls. In short, it's much easier to convert dollars into rubles than rubles into dollars.