KYIV, Dec 21 - The Finance Ministry is hailing the freeze on the assets of the former owners of PrivatBank, Ihor Kolomoisky and Hennadiy Boholiubov, as well as six companies they either own or control, imposed by a London court.

"We are hailing the affirmative decision of the British court. The government has spent almost UAH 140 billion increasing PrivatBank's capitalization because money was earlier siphoned off this bank and uncollateralized loans were not being returned," a statement posted on the bank's website with reference to Ukrainian Finance Minister Oleksandr Danyliuk said.