2,000-hryvnia banknotes are already in circulation: they feature Vasyl Stus

Banknotes with a face value of 2,000 hryvnias entered circulation in Ukraine on September 4, 2026. This is the first Ukrainian banknote of this denomination to feature the poet Vasyl Stus as its central figure. Its release date was chosen to coincide with the anniversary of his death.

The National Bank of Ukraine provided the following figures for the new denomination:

• 400,000 banknotes have been put into circulation;
• the stated total value is 700 million hryvnias;
• they account for 0.01% of the country’s total cash in circulation.

As of October 1, 2026, the total amount of cash in the country had reached 973 billion hryvnias. Over the first nine months of 2026, it increased by 46.7 billion hryvnias, or 5%, compared with the beginning of the year. This growth rate is lower than last year’s figure of 8.2%.

The structure of cash in circulation and the supply of banknotes and coins are as follows:

• 2.6 billion banknotes are in circulation, with a total value of 962.5 billion hryvnias;
• there are 15.4 billion coins, with a total value of 10.4 billion hryvnias;
• the most common banknote is the 500-hryvnia note, which accounts for 25.3% of all banknotes;
• on average, each Ukrainian has approximately 64 paper banknotes and 199 coins.

Cash in circulation declined at the beginning of the year, but demand increased in the second and third quarters. The NBU attributes this change to a regular seasonal trend.

Another factor in the third quarter was the intensification of Russian attacks on critical infrastructure. These included strikes on the energy sector, logistics, communications, and food production, which also contributed to the increase in the amount of cash in circulation.

During this period, the largest increases in the number of notes and coins among the denominations listed were:

• 1,000-hryvnia banknotes, whose number rose by 12.1%;
• 10-hryvnia coins, whose number increased by 19.1%.

Meanwhile, 10-kopiika coins continue to be withdrawn from circulation. Their number fell by 7.8 million over the year. Demand for 50-kopiika coins, however, remains steady.

We previously reported:

• Ukraine to put 2,000-hryvnia banknote featuring Vasyl Stus into circulation on September 4
• A thousand is no longer enough: NBU introduces 2,000-hryvnia banknote featuring Vasyl Stus
• Ukraine to stop accepting old 1-, 2-, 5- and 10-hryvnia banknotes
• NBU puts a new 10-hryvnia coin into circulation today
• NBU puts a 1,000-hryvnia banknote into circulation