The commemorative banknote was put into circulation to celebrate the resilience, indomitability, heroism and fortitude of the Ukrainian people, which they show in the fight against Russia's armed aggression. On February 24, 2022, Russia launched a full-scale invasion of Ukraine, announcing a "special military operation." The actions of the aggressor, who massively and brutally kills the civilian population, inflicts merciless artillery shelling and airstrikes, destroys infrastructure and destroys settlements, cause shock in the entire civilized world! Ukraine defends its independence, sovereignty, territorial integrity and right to life! Our Victory is the victory of good, justice, democracy; victory of light over darkness! Commemorative banknote of 20 hryvnias, issued in 2023, with the signature of the Chairman of the National Bank of Ukraine Andriy Pyshnyi, series ZS with numbers 0000001–0300000; contains protection elements of the current nominal series of banknotes and additional optically variable protection elements; the size of the banknote is 80 x 165 mm.
The main image of the obverse side of the commemorative banknote: the Ukrainian military installs the State Flag of Ukraine (photo "Ukrainian soldiers raise the flag" by Oleksandr Smirnov) against the background of fragments of the map of Ukraine and the flags of countries that support Ukraine. Texts above in Ukrainian and English: FEBRUARY 24, 2022 / FULL-SCALE INVASION / BY THE RUSSIAN ARMY BEGAN A NEW PHASE / ARMED AGGRESSION AGAINST UKRAINE. / THE PEOPLE'S WAR FOR INDEPENDENCE AND / SOVEREIGNTY OF UKRAINE HAS BEEN CONTINUED SINCE 2014. / THIS IS ALSO A WAR FOR A CIVILIZATION CHOICE: / UKRAINE DEFENDS ITS BELONGING / TO EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION AND AT THE TIME – / THOSE FUNDAMENTAL VALUES, RIGHTS / AND FREEDOMS WHICH ARE THE BASIS / OF THE WESTERN WORLD. (left); ON 24 FEBRUARY 2022, / A NEW STAGE OF ARMED AGRRESSION AGAINST / UKRAINE BEGAN WITH A FULL-SCALE INVASION / OF UKRAINE BY THE RUSSIAN ARMY. / THE PEOPLE'S WAR FOR THE INDEPENDENCE / AND SOVEREIGNTY OF UKRAINE HAS BEEN / GOING ON SINCE 2014. THIS IS ALSO A WAR FOR / A CIVILIZATIONAL CHOICE: UKRAINE IS DEFENDING / ITS PLACE IN EUROPEAN CIVILIZATION, AND AT THE / SAME TIME FIGHTING FOR THE FUNDAMENTAL / VALUES, RIGHTS AND FREEDOMS THAT UNDERPIN / THE WESTERN WORLD. (right); between the texts - a laurel wreath. The inscription UKRAINE, under which is the small State Coat of Arms of Ukraine (on the left). Under the laurel wreath is the inscription: AND ON THE RENEWED EARTH THE ENEMY WILL NOT BE... and a polymer ribbon containing: the chevron of the Armed Forces of Ukraine, the emblem of the Armed Forces of Ukraine and the inscriptions: GLORY TO UKRAINE / GLORY TO THE HEROES. The logo of the National Bank of Ukraine is placed on the background of the blue ribbon; on a yellow background - the signature of Andriy Pyshny and the inscription HEAD. The numerical designation of the denomination is 20 (bottom left), the vertical inscription TWENTY / HRYVEN (to the right of the soldiers) and a stylized steppe with poppy flowers - a reminder of the fallen defenders of Ukraine (bottom).
The main image of the reverse side of the commemorative banknote: a stylized composition representing the physical suffering and spiritual experiences of Ukrainians during the occupation - hands tied behind their backs against a canvas background, behind which a figure with a trace of a bullet in the form of a poppy can be guessed (design author Serhiy Mishakin) , on both sides of which are stylized wings made of candle flames; above, on the background of the outlines of destroyed buildings, there is a wreath of thorns, a symbol of martyrdom, to the right of which is a protective element, a color composition combining the image of a viburnum and an anti-tank hedgehog. Inscriptions: WE REMEMBER! WE WILL NOT FORGIVE! NEVER! (under a crown of thorns), TWENTY HRYVEN (left vertically); the serial number of the banknote, which consists of a two-letter series ZS and a seven-digit number (located twice - along the right and upper edges of the commemorative banknote); below: the numerical designation of the denomination - 20 (center), 2023 (right) and a kind of allusion - stylized poppies symbolizing the bloody traces of bullets.
