The National Bank of Ukraine Simplifies Client Verification After a Scandal Involving a Quadruple Amputee Veteran — What It Means for You
On July 15, 2026, the Board of the National Bank of Ukraine (NBU) approved Resolution No. 81, which, effective July 17, expanded the list of methods banks can use to verify a client's identity. The trigger was anything but abstract: a few days earlier, staff at a PrivatBank branch refused to issue a new card to veteran Ruslan Knysh, who lost all four limbs during combat, because he could not personally hold his passport up to the camera for photo identification, and the bank did not accept help from an accompanying person as sufficient. The story received wide media coverage, and NBU Governor Andriy Pyshnyi publicly apologized to the veteran and promised to review banks' internal procedures — and he kept that promise in under two weeks.
What Actually Happened and Why the Regulator Reacted So Fast
A Case That Exposed a Gap in the Rules
On paper, the standard client identification procedure looks logical: a person shows their document themselves, holds it themselves, and signs consent for data processing themselves. The problem is that these rules were written without accounting for people who are physically unable to perform any of these actions — due to amputation, a severe injury, age, or illness. Ruslan Knysh's case illustrated this gap as clearly as possible: he came to the branch with an accompanying person ready to help, but the formal instructions did not cover this scenario, and staff followed the letter of the rules rather than common sense. As a result, a person with a full legal right to banking services was effectively denied service because of a technical gap in the regulations.
The Central Bank's Response: From Apology to Resolution in 12 Days
The speed of the regulator's response is notable in itself. The NBU did not stop at a public statement — on July 15 the Board already approved specific amendments to the regulation on client identification and verification, and they took effect on July 17. It is a fairly rare example of one individual client's high-profile case leading to a nationwide change in banking rules within roughly two weeks rather than years of deliberation.
What Resolution No. 81 Actually Changes
A Trusted or Accompanying Person Can Now Present the Document
The key innovation: if a client is physically unable to present their passport or ID card to the camera or bank employee themselves, a trusted or accompanying person can now do it for them. Moreover, bank staff have been given an explicit right to help the client present the document — previously such assistance could have been interpreted as a procedural violation; now it is a legitimate, formally documented course of action.
Audio or Video Recording Instead of a Handwritten Signature
The second important change concerns consent for personal data processing and photo documentation. If a person cannot provide a handwritten or electronic signature due to physical limitations, consent can now be confirmed through an audio or video recording in which the client clearly states their will. This removes a situation where the mere formal absence of a signature on paper effectively blocked access to banking services for someone who was fully conscious and willing to use them.
Why This Matters Beyond Veterans
The Scale of the Issue in Ukraine as of 2026
Over the years of the full-scale war, the number of people with disabilities resulting from combat injuries in Ukraine has grown many times over, and unfortunately this trend continues. This is not limited to service members — it also includes civilians injured by shelling, elderly people with limited mobility, and people with temporary severe injuries after accidents. For all of these groups, banking services are not a minor convenience but a basic need: receiving a pension or benefit payments, paying utility bills, managing their own savings. The NBU explicitly frames Resolution No. 81 as a step toward financial inclusion — equal access to banking services regardless of a client's physical condition.
A Signal for the Entire Banking System, Not Just One Bank
It's important to understand that the changes apply not only to PrivatBank, where the incident occurred, but to every bank operating in Ukraine. This means that regardless of where you hold your personal account, the bank is now obligated to apply these new verification mechanisms whenever a client cannot physically complete the standard procedure. It is also part of a broader trend: the banking system is gradually moving away from rigid, one-size-fits-all procedures toward more flexible ones that account for a specific person's real capabilities. The same approach is gradually spreading to other products too — from applying for loans to opening deposits, where banks increasingly offer alternative ways to confirm identity for clients with limited physical capabilities.
What to Do If You or Someone Close to You Faces Verification Difficulties
The new rules are already in force, but far from every branch employee knows about them yet — so it's worth being prepared to insist on your rights. A few practical tips:
- Refer directly to NBU Resolution No. 81 of July 15, 2026. If a branch employee refuses to accept help from an accompanying person or an alternative way of confirming consent, politely ask to be referred to branch management or the bank's support service, citing the specific regulation.
- Check the procedure by phone or chat in advance. Before visiting a branch, call ahead and ask whether staff are aware of the new verification rules for clients with limited physical capabilities — this can save you time and frustration.
- Consider opening an account remotely. Many banks allow verification through their app, including recording video consent, which for some people is far more convenient than an in-person branch visit.
- Keep your savings somewhere you can manage remotely. If physically visiting a branch is a problem, choose a bank with a well-developed mobile app and the option to open a savings account entirely online, without needing an in-person visit for every operation.
- Document any refusal. If a bank still refuses service in violation of the new rules, you have the right to file a complaint with the NBU — it was precisely a public, widely reported complaint that led to this rule change, and the regulator has clearly shown it is willing to act.
Summary
NBU Resolution No. 81 is an example of how a single high-profile case can change the rules for an entire country's banking system within days. For people with disabilities, veterans, and anyone who previously faced barriers during verification due to physical limitations, this is a genuine expansion of access to financial services — from a basic account to loans and deposits. But the new rules only work if both sides of the counter know about them: clients and bank staff alike. If you or someone close to you has run into similar difficulties before, it is worth approaching the bank again — a refusal based on the formal grounds that Resolution No. 81 directly removed no longer has any basis.