KIEV, March 12 – Income of Ukrainian banks in January and February soared year-over-year by 81%, to UAH 26 billion (UAH 14.4 billion in January and February 2008), while their expenditures grew by 95%, to UAH 24 billion (UAH 12.3 billion), according to a posting on official website of the National Bank of Ukraine.

The NBU had earlier refused publishing tentative figures of banks' net profit, which is calculated as the exceeding of incomes over expenses, apart for formed reserves and VAT paid.

The report says that as of March 1, 2009, a total of 185 banks operated in Ukraine.