KIEV, April 5 - The National Bank of Ukraine's gross international reserves grew 0.56% on the year to $22.97 billion in March 2007, the bank said in a statement posted on its website.

The bank's gross international reserves rose 3.2%, or by $714.55 million, in January-March 2007.

The National Bank purchased $505.7 million more on the currency market in March than it sold, $265.4 million more in February and $223.4 million more in January.