Ukraine c.bank reserves down 7.7% in Oct-president

KIEV, Oct 22 (Reuters) - The Ukrainian central bank's foreign exchange reserves were reduced by 7.7 percent in October to $34.6 billion, President Viktor Yushchenko's press service quoted him as saying on Wednesday.

The central bank, which this year abandoned a three-year policy of keeping the hryvnia in a tight corridor, has been intervening in recent weeks to ease downward pressure on the currency. On Wednesday, it offered to sell dollars at 5.25 hryvnias.

The president's press service also said Yushchenko told a meeting of domestic economic journalists that total foreign debt payments in the fourth quarter amounted to $8.8 billion. (Writing by Ron Popeski; editing by David Stamp)