Opposition leader Viktor Yanukovych and...

Sunday"s presidential vote was the first since the 2004 "orange revolution" protests that brought to power the pro-Western President Viktor Yushchenko. He has been determined to set the ex-Soviet state on a path to join NATO and the EU, and has been involved in bitter energy rows with Moscow, which affected supplies to Europe, and a dispute over a key Russian naval base in the Crimea.

With 60% of ballots counted, Yanukovych leads with 36.38% of votes followed by Tymoshenko on 24.41%. Neither candidate will secure the 50% of votes needed for outright victory.

Yanukovych, 59, enjoys support of mainly Russian-speaking eastern regions. Tymoshenko, 49, a leader of the "orange revolution" protests amid election fraud accusations against Yanukovych, is popular in the country"s west.

Both of them pledged to improve ties with Russia, also soured over Kiev"s support for Georgia in the August 2008 war over South Ossetia.

Yanukovych has vowed that Ukraine will remain

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