IMF sees Ukraine returning to growth next year

WASHINGTON (Reuters) - The International Monetary Fund said on Wednesday that Ukraine's economy should return to growth in 2016 after a deep contraction this year. In a news release providing details of its $17.5 billion loan to Ukraine, the IMF said the economy would likely shrink by about 5.5 percent this year, before rebounding with growth of 2 percent in 2016 and 4 percent annually in the medium term. It said inflation should subside to around 27 percent by the end of this year after a spike led by a sharp drop in the value of Ukraine's currency and gas and heating tariff increases. (Reporting by Timothy Ahmann; Editing by Bernard Orr)