The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) on September 25, 2018 put into circulation the 20 hryvnia banknote of 2018 design with improved security features, the regulator has reported.

According to a press release of the NBU, the new 20 hryvnia banknote is legal tender and shall be accepted at its face value by all individuals and legal entities without any limitation all over the territory of Ukraine. It will remain in circulation along with 20 hryvnia banknotes of 2003 design.

"Ukrainians will be able to make payments with banknotes of both 2003 and 2018 design for an unlimited period. The NBU will replace worn-out and damaged 20 hryvnia banknotes of 2003 design with the new ones," the press service said, citing Director of the NBU Cash Circulation Department Viktor Zaivenko.

He also said that the first batch of new 20 hryvnia banknotes in the amount of more than 5 million pieces was distributed among the NBU’s regional units for further distribution among banks, which in their turn would provide Ukrainians with the new banknotes.

This year, 60 million of 20 hryvnia banknotes will be printed in total.

As of 1 September 2018, the number of 20 hryvnia banknotes in circulation stood at nearly 125 million amounting to UAH 2.5 billion (some 4.4% of the total number of banknotes in circulation).

Overall, the NBU annually withdraws from circulation about 800 million worn-out banknotes of all denominations. Nearly half of them are low-denomination banknotes from 1 to 20 hryvnias.

In 2017, 48 billion, including 72 million pieces of 20 hryvnia banknotes worth close to UAH 1.5 billion. This represents nearly 10% of the total amount of worn-out and significantly worn-out banknotes withdrawn from the circulation.