KIEV, July 17 (Reuters) - The Ukrainian banking sector incurred losses of 14.3 billion hryvnias ($1.9 billion) in the first half of this year against profits of 5.3 billion hryvnias ($1 billion at last year's exchange rate) a year ago, central bank data showed on Friday.
The data showed the sector, comprising of over 180 banks, made losses of 2.3 billion hryvnias in June as banks transferred funds into their reserves.
Reserves in the first six months of the year grew to 33.1 billion hryvnias from 28.2 billion hryvnias in the first five months of the year.
Banks have been shaken by a deep weakening of the hryvnia and bad loans -- many issued in dollars and now far harder to pay back as the hryvnia's value went down. (Editing by Jon Loades-Carter)