The rate of hryvnia counterfeiting has fallen to a historic low

The number of counterfeit hryvnia banknotes in circulation in 2025 fell by two-thirds compared to the previous period, reaching its lowest level since the start of the full-scale invasion. 

The National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) reports a significant improvement in the security of cash transactions. According to the NBU’s monitoring data, there are only 1.7 counterfeit banknotes per million genuine banknotes. 

This result was made possible by the active replacement of old currency with new-generation banknotes featuring enhanced security features and the effective work of law enforcement agencies. Most often, counterfeiters attempt to forge the 500-hryvnia note from 2006, which accounts for 80% of all seized counterfeits. At the same time, modern banknotes from the 2014–2019 series are counterfeited extremely rarely due to the complexity of reproducing their security features. 

Among foreign currencies, the U.S. dollar remains the traditional target, accounting for 93% of all detected counterfeits. Most counterfeit foreign currency consists of $100 bills. The NBU emphasizes that the banking systems of Russia and other countries have no impact on the stability of Ukrainian cash thanks to modern detection technology. Citizens are advised to be vigilant and conduct currency transactions only at licensed institutions. Statistics show that the counterfeiting rate in Ukraine is currently eight times lower than in European Union countries regarding the euro. 

Operatives from the National Police’s Department of Internal Security, together with detectives from the Security Service of Ukraine, exposed two 23-year-old Kyiv residents who organized the sale of counterfeit foreign currency at half its face value—that is, they sold counterfeit $100 bills for 50 genuine ones. 

The Kyiv City Prosecutor’s Office has filed an indictment with the court against two 23-year-old men who organized a scheme to sell counterfeit foreign currency.