In the town of Vakhrushevo of Luhansk Oblast, persons unknown attacked a polling station No.440898 (the premises of Educational Centre No.1), which belongs to electoral district No.108.

Ten persons broke onto the premises, smashed the windows, damaged the boxes with documents, and torn part of the ballots. All this happened around 3am on Monday. OPORA public observer is now at the polling station — he reported he saw torn ballots lying on the table at the polling station. As of 10am, work of the commission is paralysed; investigative actions are ongoing. Law enforcement officers are standing next to the ballots, and don't allow even commission members to the table with the ballots. It is almost impossible to enter the polling station. Law enforcement officers don't allow anyone. In fact, the public observer of OPORA made his way to the premises of the polling station through the back door. Commission members, together with the law enforcement officers, allowed him to stay since he is entitled to be present at the commission meeting as a journalist according to the legislation of Ukraine.

At the same time, a commission member told journalist Oleh Yatsenko,  “You will regret that you came to this commission. You shouldn't have done that.” Also, all representatives of the commission and law enforcement officers refuse to introduce themselves. Public observer of the All-Ukrainian Union Fatherland Volodymyr Omelyanenko at the moment isn't allowed on the premises of the commission though he is entitled to it as a public observer. At the same time, observers from other political forces are present at the commission meeting. No one responds to the demands of other observers to allow the observer of Fatherland on the premises of the commission.  

For comment, please contact:
Oleksii Kormiletskyi
Electoral Programmes Coordinator of the Civil Network OPORA in Luhansk Oblast
050 275 28 08