The invention relates to novel ruthenium catalysts which can be obtained by: 1) single or multiple treatment of an amorphous silicon dioxide based carrier material with a halogen-free aqueous solution of a low-molecular ruthenium compound and subsequent drying of the treated carrier material at a temperature of less than 200 DEG C, ii) reduction of the solid obtained in I) with hydrogen at a temperature ranging from 100 to 350 DEG C, wherein step ii) is carried out directly after step i). The invention also relates to a method for the production and use thereof in catalytic hydrogenation of monosaccharides and disaccharides for the production of sugar alcohols with the exception of sorbit.
