MOSCOW, Sept 12 (Reuters) - Russian assets fell on Friday after the European Union decided on further sanctions against Moscow over the Ukraine crisis and the United States was expected to follow.

The EU's new sanctions further restrict access to foreign capital for Russia's largest state-controlled companies, including top energy firms. The United States was expected to follow on Friday with similar measures, targeting Russia's largest bank Sberbank SBER.MM . ID:nL1N0RC1XG .

At 0601 GMT, the dollar-denominated RTS index .IRTS was down 0.4 percent to 1,214 points, while its rouble-based peer MICEX .MCX was 0.2 percent lower at 1,447 points.

Both indexes fell more than 1 percent in the previous session after the EU sanctions were announced.

"The situation is escalating again and reaches a new level - after all Europe has decided to impose restrictive measures when there is some kind of a ceasefire," Natalia Samoilova, an analyst at Golden-Hills Kapital investment house in Moscow, wrote in a morning note.

The rouble was 0.2 percent weaker against the dollar at 37.60 RUBUTSTN=MCX and lost 0.2 percent to trade at 48.60 versus the euro EURRUBTN=MCX .

This has left the currency 0.2 percent weaker at 42.58 against the dollar-euro basket RUS=MCX the central bank uses to gauge the rouble's nominal exchange rate.

For rouble poll data see FXRUB FXEURRUB FXRUS

For Russian equities guide see RU/EQUITY

For Russian treasury bonds see 0#RUTSY=MM

Russia in graphics: http://link.reuters.com/dun63s

(Reporting by Lidia Kelly, editing by Jason Bush) ((lidia.kelly@thomsonreuters.com; +7 495 775 1242; Reuters Messaging: lidia.kelly.reuters.com@reuters.net))

Keywords: RUSSIA MARKETS/