Latest from our news desk on the OSCE assessment of the local elections:
The European monitoring mission that observed Ukraine's October 25 local elections has said the polls were "competitive and well-organized overall" but stressed there is still "need for further reform."
Monitors from the Organization for Security and Cooperation in Europe (OSCE) said on October 26 noted that the conflict between Kyiv and Russia-backed separatists in eastern Ukraine had prevented more than 5 million voters from participating.
"Yesterday's local elections were the starting points of decentralization and territorial reform in Ukriane," said Gudrun Mosler-Tornstrom, head of a delegation from the Council of Europe.
Andrej Plenkovic, head of the European Parliament delegation, said "the elections were conducted largely in line with internationally recognized standards."
Final results are not expected to be announced before October 28, and run-off ballots are expected to be necessary in mid-November to determine the mayors of several cities.
And this from AP on the split in the country:
Exit polls in Ukraine local elections show east-west split
MARIUPOL, Ukraine (AP) — Four exit polls from Ukraine's local elections indicate the governing coalition has retained its dominant position in the west and center of the country despite widespread disappointment with the government of President Petro Poroshenko.
In the south and east, voters favored the Opposition Bloc, formed from the remnants of the party of the former pro-Russia president, who was overthrown in early 2014 after months of street protests.
The Central Election Committee says it has received the tally from only 30 percent of the vote by Monday morning.
Sunday's elections for more than 10,700 local councils as well as mayors were held nationwide, except for parts of eastern Ukraine controlled by Russia-backed rebels.
Voting was scrapped at the last minute in Mariupol and nearby Krasnoarmiisk because of disputes over ballots.
Meanwhile ... From AFP
Moscow, Oct 26, 2015 (AFP) -
Russian navy holds drill to 'repel strikes' on Crimea
Russia said Monday its navy is holding drills off the coast of Crimea to practise thwarting an attack on the Black Sea peninsula it annexed from Ukraine last year.
"Today and tomorrow ships... will practise the organisation of repelling strikes by the enemy from the air in the Black Sea fleet's naval range near the Crimean coast," fleet spokesman Nikolai Voskresensky was quoted by Russian news agencies as saying
The drill will include the navy's guided missile hovercraft Samum and several smaller ships, as well as Su-24 bombers, he said, and will finish by launching a cruise missile strike.
The drill will be managed from Russia's naval base in Crimea, located at the former headquarters of the Ukrainian navy in Sevastopol.