Exit polls suggest that billionaire Petro Poroshenko won in the first round of the Ukrainian presidential election on Sunday. The exit polls, conducted by three respected Ukrainian survey agencies, show the 48-year-old candy tycoon Poroshenko getting 55.9 percent of the vote and former Prime Minister Yulia Tymoshenko suffering a crushing defeat with just under 13 percent.
Voting took place amid weeks of fighting in eastern regions of the country, where pro-Russia activists have seized government buildings and battled government troops. The rebels had vowed to block the ballot in the east, and less than 20 percent of the polling stations were open there. The Central Elections Commission said that nationwide turnout was about 60 percent. Poroshenko held a press conference declaring victory, viewing the exit polls as definitive evidence. Full results are expected today.