Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko delivers during his television address on October 25, 2014. (Agence France-Presse)
Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko made a surprise election day visit on Sunday to the east of the country where troops are fighting against a pro-Russian insurgency.
"I arrived in Donbass," Mr Poroshenko said on his official Twitter account, referring to the conflict region. An accompanying photograph showed him dressed in a camouflage uniform and gazing out of the open door of a helicopter.
The presidency said Mr Poroshenko stopped at a polling station in Kramatorsk, a town in the heart of the area fought over by Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels during the last seven months, but which is now in government hands.
The visit came as Ukrainians began voting in a parliamentary election expected to back Mr Poroshenko's pro-Western reforms and test popular support for his plan to negotiate with the insurgents.
The presidency's press office said Mr Poroshenko would return to the capital Kiev to cast his ballot by midday.