In Pictures, Ukraine Votes to Elect New Parliament

MARIUPOL, Ukraine – Despite the palpable threat of war, residents of this strategically important seaside city near the front lines of Ukraine’s war against pro-Russian separatists turned out to the polls on Sunday to vote for a new parliament.



Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko called for the snap vote after dissolving the current parliament in August. He hopes the vote will solidify a new European path for Ukraine after protesters overthrew the country’s Russia-leaning president, Viktor Yanukovych, in February.

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The turnout in Mariupol was high considering its proximity to the front lines of the ongoing fight. Rebels armed to the teeth with weapons that Kiev and the West say were gifted to them by Moscow have positioned themselves less than 20 miles away near the town of Novoazovsk.



Residents know all too well what war is like. Once controlled by separatists early on in the conflict, Mariupol was the site of a bloody battle on May 9, when Ukrainian forces stormed the city center in armored vehicles, guns blazing, in an attempt to recapture the city. Several people were killed during the operation. Government forces regained control of Mariupol shortly after, but things have remained tense here ever since. Read more...

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