KIEV, Feb. 6 ??“ The National Bank of Ukraine spent about $940 mln to prop up the hryvnia against the U.S. dollar in January as demand for hard currency had accelerated, the NBU said Monday.

This is the biggest spending in support of the hryvnia since the NBU had shelled out blns of U.S. dollars more than a year ago trying to fend off attacks from currency speculators.