Ukrainian president says central bank head 'is protected'

Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy said on Wednesday that the head of Ukraine's central bank is protected and able to do his job.

Earlier on Wednesday the central bank had accused the former owner of the country's largest lender PrivatBank, Ihor Kolomoisky, of paying protesters to demonstrate outside its building to disrupt its work and "create chaos".

A protracted legal battle between Kolomoisky and the Ukrainian authorities is being closely watched by investors and could weigh on Ukraine's negotiations with the International Monetary Fund. Authorities warn the IMF may freeze aid if PrivatBank's 2016 nationalization is reversed.