Sense Bank Being Prepared for Sale: Proceeds to Be Allocated to Defense
The Ministry of Finance of Ukraine has been instructed to accelerate the process of selling the nationalized Sense Bank. All funds that the state receives from the deal are planned to be directed to the needs of the Defense Forces.
This was announced by Prime Minister of Ukraine Sergey Koretsky. According to him, the government expects to accelerate the state's exit from the bank's capital and use the proceeds to finance defense.
«The Ministry of Finance received a clear task to accelerate the process of selling the nationalized Sense Bank. All funds received will be directed to the needs of the Defense Forces», — the prime minister reported.
Sale of Sense Bank Prepared Since 2025
Preparation of the bank for privatization started earlier. In August 2025, the Financial Stability Council came to the conclusion that the sale of state-owned stakes in Sense Bank and Ukrgasbank should not negatively affect the stability of the banking system.
In October 2025, the Cabinet of Ministers officially began preparing the stakes of both banks for sale. This is part of a broader strategy to reduce the state's share in the Ukrainian banking sector.
On March 31, 2026, the Ministry of Finance announced a tender to select a financial advisor to accompany the sale of Sense Bank and Ukrgasbank. Its tasks include preparing the deal, increasing the value of state stakes, searching for potential investors, and accompanying all stages of the sale.
However, this is not an immediate sale of the bank to a specific buyer. The process must go through procedures stipulated by law, including asset valuation, preparation of deal terms, and work with potential investors.
Bank Came Under State Control in 2023
Sense Bank, formerly Alfa-Bank Ukraine, was nationalized in the summer of 2023. The reason was sanctions against owners of significant participation in the bank associated with Russia.
On July 22, 2023, the state, represented by the Ministry of Finance, became the owner of 100% of Sense Bank shares. The nationalization was explained by the need to ensure stable operation of a systemically important bank and protect the interests of depositors and other creditors.
According to the National Bank, Sense Bank remains a systemically important and solvent bank. The state previously stated that its sale should be carried out in such a way as to maximize the value of the asset and not create risks for the financial system.
Now the government has separately fixed the priority of using future proceeds from the sale: the funds should go to finance the Defense Forces of Ukraine.
