Ukraine's Poroshenko makes surprise visit to frontline on election day

  • 10 years ago
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Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko on Sunday (October 26) arrived unexpectedly at a polling station in Kramatorsk as part of a surprise visit to soldiers fighting Russian separatists in the east of the country, in an area he described as a zone of "anti-terrorist operation".

Poroshenko didn't vote at the polling station, but greeted workers and soldiers voting in the country's parliamentary elections.

The elections are likely to install a pro-Western parliament and strengthen President Petro Poroshenko's mandate to end separatist conflict in the east, but may fuel tension with Russia.

Voting started on a cold but sunny morning in Kiev in the first parliamentary election since street protests in the capital last winter forced Moscow-backed leader Viktor Yanukovich to flee and ushered in a pro-Europe leadership under Poroshenko.

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