The polls opened at 8AM Kyiv time (1AM ET) and the people brought their families to participate in this historic election. It is an election Ukraine and the West hope will restore order and bring peace to the troubled country.
Here’s what the presidential ballot looks like in #Ukraine. It’s one very large piece of paper. pic.twitter.com/jc85WceSKv
— Paul Sonne (@PaulSonne) May 25, 2014
Politicians and the presidential candidates voted, too. Ukraine’s “Chocolate King” Petro Poroshenko is at 30%, which is a commanding lead over ex-Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko. Prime Minister stood in line just like everyone else.
?????? ?? ? ???????????? ??? ?????????? ??????? ?????? – ????????? ?? ???????. ? ??? ???? ?????????? ????? ???????. pic.twitter.com/gj0Ui4oQ5l
— Arseniy Yatsenyuk (@Yatsenyuk_AP) May 25, 2014
Ukraine’s PM @Yatsenyuk_AP waits in line to vote in Kyiv. Break of VIP politics traditions#UkraineVotes pic.twitter.com/JEUwJplR4t
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) May 25, 2014
.@Vitaliy_Klychko votes in #UkraineVotesvia @DEmmerichpic.twitter.com/ewaNFNLZya
— Maxim Eristavi (@MaximEristavi) May 25, 2014
Presidential frontrunner Petro Poroshenko votes. #Ukraine #UkraineVotes . pic.twitter.com/cyE05u5JWb
— Just Hovens Greve (@JustHovensGreve) May 25, 2014
#Ukraine‘s famed/ notorious presidential candidate/ ex-PM/ ex-convict Yulia Tymoshenko votes. via @Batkivshchyna pic.twitter.com/ZWIFGuLdkI
— Abigail Hauslohner (@ahauslohner) May 25, 2014
Right Sector leader & presidential candidate D.Yarosh voting earlier. Guy’s fighting a war and still has time to vote pic.twitter.com/eeH1CbfCWm
— bruce springnote (@BSpringnote) May 25, 2014
Yes, this really did happen.
#OnlyInUkraineDarth Vader at a polling station in Kiev: “Glory to Ukraine!” Via @NatVasilyevaAP #ukrainevotes pic.twitter.com/ByM0FXQBg4
— Just Hovens Greve (@JustHovensGreve) May 25, 2014
The force is strong in people of #Ukraine RT @mikeybbq: Spotted by a colleague at a polling station in Kyiv just now pic.twitter.com/wtzRIQNWnk
— Geoffrey Pyatt (@GeoffPyatt) May 25, 2014
At 11AM, the turnout was 17.52% and the Kyiv turnout was the highest at 22.71%. The lowest was Donetsk at 5.48%.
#UkraineVotes 11 AM:Turnout #Ukraine 17.52%.Highest – #Kyiv region 22.71%Lowest – #Donetsk region 5.48% pic.twitter.com/tUoiYVtEN4
— Just Hovens Greve (@JustHovensGreve) May 25, 2014
Journalists in east Ukraine tweeted pictures of empty ballot boxes and people. Others were told polling stations in the east were forcibly shut down by gunmen.
#Selidovo polling station set up and ready to go but no ballot papers EC hopeful will arrive later #Donetsk #Ukraine pic.twitter.com/HJMzOmoCuN
— Harriet Salem (@HarrietSalem) May 25, 2014
Broken ballot boxes in front of #Donetsk regional administration building. #Ukraine #Ukrainevotes pic.twitter.com/KwVQ843bNk
— Just Hovens Greve (@JustHovensGreve) May 25, 2014
Friend from #Luhansk: both parents are election officials. At their polling station gunmen & police (!) arrived & shut it down #UkraineVotes
Confiscated ballot boxes outside separatist-occupied #Donetsk regional state admin marked with “trash.” #UkraineVotes pic.twitter.com/VWCjkEKKva
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
— Thomas C. Theiner (@noclador) May 25, 2014
Christopher Miller, editor of The Kyiv Post, is in Donetsk and reported that the Vostok Battalion arrived to welcoming arms.
Pro-Russian Vostok Battalion shows up @ DPR rally in #Donetsk. Women greet them with open arms, kisses. “Our heroes!” pic.twitter.com/MSNPiHbSuY
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
Women swarm the Vostok Battalion in #Donetsk and shower them their love. pic.twitter.com/jm89BkmzwW
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
Vostok Battalion in #Donetsk. More than 120 of them rolled in here on one APC and at least six large trucks. pic.twitter.com/rp5ueDczGl
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
VIDEO: Pro-Russian Vostok Battalion fires weapons in salute to separatists at Novorossiya rally in #Donetsk http://t.co/WhvA0Xi0UB
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
Several Vostok Battalion troops speaking Chechen today. One woman asks one of them, “Where are you from? Russia?” Man’s answer: “Chechnya.”
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
@bopanc @marson_jr @PaulSonne Agreed. And taking orders from a middle-aged guy with a salt and pepper beard speaking Chechen. Weapons clean.
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
Then the mob decided to march towards billionaire Rinat Akhmetov’s house in Donetsk.
More than 2000 people chanting “Akhmetov – enemy of the people” marching on the oligarch’s residence in #Donetsk. pic.twitter.com/SfBtyUdz6o
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
Oplot and Russian Orthodox fighters trying to persuade Pro-Russian mob not to storm Akhmetov residence in #Donetsk. pic.twitter.com/42AFvRDkql
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
Negotiations happening now. Mob wants to break through Akhmetov’s front door. #Donetsk pic.twitter.com/CUrvGVCdkh
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
Crowd outside Akhmetov’s residence has mostly dispersed. Couple hundred hanging around. Seems no storming today. #Donetsk #Ukraine
— Christopher Miller (@ChristopherJM) May 25, 2014
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