MOSCOW — The Russian government said Tuesday that it was forcing five major state-controlled exporters, including the publicly traded energy behemoths Gazprom and Rosneft, to limit their foreign currency holdings to help prop up the ruble.

The value of the ruble has plummeted in recent months as the Russian economy took a two-fisted beating from a drop in worldwide oil prices and Western sanctions aimed at punishing the Kremlin over its policies in Ukraine.

In response to the ruble’s collapse, Russia sharply raised interest rates and sold off foreign currency reserves. There had also been widespread reports in recent days that top officials, including President Vladimir V. Putin, were pressuring the nation’s biggest companies and wealthiest executives for help, though any action was coyly described as voluntary.

The announcement published Tuesday on the Russian government’s main website was the first open acknowledgment that the Kremlin would use its controlling votes on the boards of directors of major companies to force economic policy decisions.