Zelensky, Poroshenko to face Ukraine's presidential runoff

KIEV -- Ukrainian actor Volodymyr Zelensky and incumbent President Petro Poroshenko advanced to the runoff of Ukraine's presidential election, according to the data provided by the Central Electoral Commission (CEC) of Ukraine on Thursday.

With nearly all of the ballots counted, Zelensky garnered 30.24 percent of the vote, while Poroshenko gained 15.95 percent in the first round of the elections held on Sunday, the CEC website showed.

Yulia Tymoshenko, leader of the opposition Fatherland party, is ranked third with the support of 13.40 percent voters. She is followed by Yuriy Boyko, representative of an oppositional platform "For Life," and Anatoly Hrytsenko, leader of "Civil Position" party, with 11.67 percent and 6.91 percent of the vote, respectively.

A total of 62.8 percent of 29.8 million Ukrainian eligible voters cast their ballots in the first round of the election. The second round will take place on April 21.

Final results are set to be released by May 4, and the new president is expected to take office no later than June 3.