KIEV, Dec. 4 – The National Bank of Ukraine intends to defend the forex rate at UAH7.4-7.5 per U.S. dollar, the head of the group of advisors to the NBU Governor, Valeriy Lytvytsky said.

"I have instructions from the NBU head… We'll protect the rate recently observed on the market – it is about UAH 7.4-7.5 per U.S dollar. At this moment, we're ceasing defense, we're launching a counterattack," he said in the air of the First National TV Channel UT-1 on Wednesday evening.