Ukraine prepares for presidential elections

(Vatican Radio) Billionaire chocolate maker Petro Poroshenko, who remains favoured to win Sunday's presidential poll in Ukraine, has urged voters to hand him victory outright in the first round or face destabilization amid deadly clashes in the east. His comments came shortly before at least 14 Ukrainian soldiers were killed in fighting with pro-Russian separatists.

Listen to Stefan Bos' report: 

The 48-year-old Petro Poroshenko, dubbed the "Chocolate King" because of his confectionery empire, has warned that going into a second round of voting would lead to more instability.

While he is ahead in polls, the businessman needs at least 50 percent plus one vote to avoid a final run-off on June 15.

Poroshenko is concerned however that pro-Russian separatists will undermine stability, amid the deadliest attack on Ukrainian soldiers so far.

TWO APPROACHES

"For us it would be two approaches," he said about his plans when elected president. "For those people who don't touch the weapons we have a very open dialogue guaranteeing the security for them," Poroshenko said.

"But those people who kill, who carry the weapons, they are terrorists. In the whole world there is only one way of dialogue with terrorists and that is by [using] weapons," he warned.      

His comments were aired while Ukrainians mourned their dead.

Pro-Russia insurgents attacked a military checkpoint Thursday in eastern Ukraine, killing some 14 troops in what has been described as the deadliest raid yet in weeks of fighting.

Ukrainian soldiers could be seen scattered in a field near the village of Blahodatne, outside Volnovakha, some 30 kilometers south of the major city of Donetsk.

CLAIMING ATTACK

A rebel group claimed responsibility for the attack. "This morning, six kilometers from the Svyato Uspensky monastry near Volnavacha, we destroyed a checkpoint from the fascistic Ukrainian army" a masked man said, proudly showing confiscated weapons.

A Ukrainian army general told British television it had been difficult to carry away the bodies. "Three of my friends have fallen and I cannot even collect their bodies," he said, his voice trembling.

"Their combat unit has been laying there in the field for over 30 minutes already," he explained shortly after the attack. 

Ukraine's government has admitted that the ongoing fighting in the east will make it impossible to organize presidential elections in all areas.