Ukrainians were heading to the polls on Sunday to elect a new president from among dozens of candidates, though pundits expect a tight three-way race with a comedian who plays a fictional president on television in the lead.
Two political heavyweights, incumbent Petro Poroshenko and former prime minister Yulia Tymoshenko, have faced formidable competition from dark horse candidate Volodymyr Zelensky.
Zelensky, 41, has never held a political post. In the popular TV show ‘Servant of the People,’ he plays a history teacher who gains notoriety with a viral video of him bad-mouthing the country's leadership and then surprisingly is elected.
‘Zelensky is supported by voters who are unsatisfied with President Poroshenko, who mistrust the traditional political leaders and who want cardinal changes in Ukraine's system of governance,’ Volodymyr Fesenko, director of the Penta Centre of Applied Political Studies, told dpa.
Incumbent Poroshenko has appeared slow in enacting expected reforms as his government struggles with a pro-Russian separatist rebellion in Ukraine's two eastern-most regions.
A tenet of Poroshenko's election campaign has been promoting his experience as Ukraine's leader throughout the toughest term of the country's post-Soviet history.
Tymoshenko, the country's first female prime minister, is also promoting her experience among Ukraine's leadership. Her candidacy has received support from female and elderly voters.
The rebellion in eastern Ukraine erupted in 2014, shortly after Poroshenko's Russia-friendly predecessor, Viktor Yanukovych, was ousted in favour of stronger ties with the European Union.
About 13,000 people have been killed in the conflict, according to estimates by the United Nations. Ukraine accuses neighbouring Russia of direct involvement in the conflict. Russia denies the allegation.
Whether Zelensky, Poroshenko or Tymoshenko is elected, ‘Ukraine in any case is moving in the direction of the West,’ said Vadim Karasyov, director of Ukrainian think tank Institute of Global Strategies.
Polls will close at 8pm (1700 GMT), with results expected immediately afterwards. Should no candidate take more than 50 per cent of the vote the top two will face off in a second round on April 21.