KIEV, March 5 - The National Bank of Ukraine's gross international reserves shrank by $2.362 billion, or 8.2%, to $26.459 billion in February.

In the first two months of 2009, the international reserves declined by $5.085 billion, or 16.1%. In 2008, the Ukrainian international reserves declined by $918.8 million, or 2.8%, the NBU said in a statement.

The bank said it sold an equivalent of $1.73 billion more than it bought on the foreign currency market in February and $1.611 billion more in January.