Ukrainian President Petro Poroshenko casts his vote for a new parliament and a break from the country's Soviet past.

These are the first elections since last winter's protests in capital Kiev that saw, first, the ousting of Viktor Yanukovich, Ukraine's pro-Russian former president - followed by an armed insurgency in the east, that Ukraine claims is backed by Russia.

Sunday's elections are likely to install a pro-Western parliament - giving Poroshenko a mandate to pursue a path of pro-European reforms -- in what could further strain ties with Russia.

(SOUNDBITE) (English) UKRAINIAN PRESIDENT PETRO POROSHENKO, SAYING:

"I'm not hoping, I'm absolutely sure that after this parliamentary election, after this form of support of pro-European forces including the presidential force, we will have a big, almost constitutional majority of the pro-European coalition. I think that this would be a victory of democracy, victory of European Ukraine."

In Slaviansk, a form