Kiev: 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.
"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 presidency's press office said Mr Poroshenko would return to the capital Kiev to cast his ballot by midday.
Advertisement
COMMENTS
Advertisement
Ukrainian President Zelensky Replaces Commander Of Joint Forces Eagles Altered Flight Paths To Avoid Ukraine War: Scientists Zelensky Angers Russia By Accusing It Of "Oppressing" Ukrainians In Big Step Towards One Nation, One Election, Cabinet Clears Plan Explained: How Pagers Turned Bombs And Why Israel Is Being Blamed New XEC Covid Variant Spreads To 27 Countries, Here's What We Know So Far Veterinarian Warns Against Owning These 5 Dog Breeds Due To Health Concerns EasyJet Flight Makes Emergency Landing After Bag Of Vapes Explode Andhra Doctors Perform Brain Surgery As Patient Watches Jr NTR's Movie Track Latest News Live on NDTV.com and get news updates from India and around the world.