Here's a roundup of today's events from our news desk
Exit polls suggest pro-Western parties will dominate Ukraine's parliament following snap elections on October 26.
President Petro Poroshenko called the early poll in a bid to set Ukraine on a new path eight months after pro-Moscow President Viktor Yanukovych was ousted following opposition protests.
Poroshenko’s bloc is expected win the most seats, with Prime Minister Arseniy Yatsenyuk's People's Front a close second.
Samopomich, a pro-European party based in western Ukraine, is seen in third.
Four other parties are expected to pass 5 percent threshold needed to enter the Verkhovna Rada: the Opposition Bloc, which was joined by many members of Yanukovych's Party of Regions, the Radical Party led by populist Oleh Lyashko, Svoboda, and Batkivshchina.
For the first time since Ukraine became independent, the Communist Party is not expected to enter parliament.
The voter turnout stood at nearly 40 percent at 1500 Prague time, four hours before polls closed.
Preliminary official results are expected on October 27.
About 5 million voters located in Crimea, annexed by Russia in March, and in separatist-controlled areas of the regions of Luhansk and Donetsk did not take part in the elections.
Poll officials said 15 out of 32 district election commissions in Luhansk and Donetsk would not be operating.
As a result, 27 seats in the 450-seat parliament will be left vacant.
After casting his ballot Kyiv, Poroshenko expressed hope he will be able to form "a powerful pro-European, pro-Ukrainian and democratic coalition."
Earlier, the president made a surprise election day visit to Kramatorsk.
Ukrainian troops and pro-Russian rebels fought over the city in the country’s east during the last seven months, and is now under government control.
Prime Minister Yatsenyuk said a governing coalition will have to be formed "as quickly as possible" following the elections.
"This is to be a very pro-reform and pro-European, smart and even tough coalition. Because the new government, together with the new parliament, is to pass a number of austerity packages, and a number of reforms that are not easy for the people in a short-term perspective," Yatsenyuk said.
Lyashko described the elections as a "very important event in our lives."
"We have a unique opportunity for the first time to get a Ukrainian parliament, which would lead Ukraine to Europe and towards NATO."
Polls showed a majority of Ukrainians support economic and democratic reforms -- especially a crackdown on corruption -- leading eventually to membership in the European Union.
But the conflict in eastern Ukraine has cast a shadow over the elections.
A cease-fire signed in September has ended much of the fighting, but daily violations of the truce in several places continue to cause casualties among government forces, the rebels, and civilians.
More than 3,700 people have been killed in the conflict and hundreds of thousands of others have fled their homes.
Leaders of the pro-Russian insurgents in Donetsk and Luhansk have said they will hold elections to their so-called "people's republics" on November 2 to elect separate parliaments.
Kyiv, the United States, and several other countries have said the elections are illegitimate and will not be recognized.
Based on reporting by AP, AFP, and Interfax
Much of Donetsk and Luhansk unable to vote
It was a tough day for many voters in the eastern Ukrainian regions of Donetsk and Luhansk. Of Donetsk's 3.3 million residents only some 1.4 million had access to the polls.
Our Ukrainian Service reports about one incident in which a resident of separatist-controlled Donetsk and three of his friends, who were unaware voting had been forbidden, had attempted to go their traditional voting station.
"When we arrived there, a man was standing at the entrance and we asked him if we could vote," the prospective voter said. The man walked into the building and soon after "they fired on us with automatic weapons. We barely escaped, making it back to our cars just in time."
Earlier, the commander of the Aidar Batallion had said that members of his unit in the town of Schastya, located near the battlefront, were also unable to vote.
Samopomich (Self-reliance) party carries Kyiv, according to exit polls
One of the biggest surprises of this election is the strong showing for the party of Lviv Mayor Andriy Sadoviy. According to exit polls, much of his support came in Kyiv, were his party beat out the two front-runners (Petro Poroshenko's Bloc and People's Front) to win 27 percent of the vote.
In Slovyansk, exit polls show plurality choosing party of former Party of Regions members
Meanwhile in Slovyansk, long a separatist stronghold until being re-taken by pro-Kyiv forces in August, the Opposition Bloc, made up largely of former members of Viktor Yanukovych's Party of Regions, won 28 percent of the vote, compared to 19 percent for Petro Poroshenko's Bloc.
More on the "other" half of the vote.
Barring any major developments, that ends the live blogging for today. Our news desk will provide updates on results from the Central Election Commission as they come in tonight.
Good morning. Pro-Europe parties have won a sweeping victory in a crucial parliamentary election that Ukrainians hope will improve stability after a year of turmoil and months of warfare against pro-Russian separatists in the east.