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Radicals end picket at Russia’s embassy in Kiev, police lift part of cordons

The protesters have left the square in front of the embassy. Police cordons at the approaches to the building have thinned

KIEV, September 18. /TASS/. Activists of Ukraine’s nationalist party Svoboda (Freedom) have ended a picket in front of the Russian embassy in Kiev which hosts a polling station at Russia’s parliamentary elections on Sunday, a TASS correspondent reported from the site.

The protesters have left the square in front of the embassy. Police cordons at the approaches to the building have thinned. Thus, several hours before the end of voting, voters can reach the polling station relatively free.

The situation around the Russian diplomatic mission is calm.

On September 10, Ukrainian President Pyotr Poroshenko ordered to notify Russia that it is impossible to organize elections to the State Duma on Ukraine’s territory. Later, Ukraine’s Foreign Ministry Spokesperson Maryana Betsa said that the vote was "impossible even on the premises of Russia’s diplomatic and consular missions." Kiev said the condition for holding the vote in Ukraine was Moscow’s refusal to carry out polls in Crimea and Sevastopol.

Following Ukraine’s decision, Peskov said Russia is not planning to discuss electoral processes on its territory with any other country. "In this case, in general the Russian side is not ready to perceive any demands (on holding the elections)," Peskov said.

There are four diplomatic missions of Russia in Ukraine: the embassy in Kiev and the consulates general in Odessa, Kharkov and Lvov. According to Russia’s Central Election Commission, there are some 80,000 Russian voters in Ukraine.