In Zaporizhia, police officers found and returned the ballot papers stolen in the morning to the election commission, the National Police of Ukraine has said.

"On October 25, at 10:30, Voznesenivsky police department of the Main Directorate of the National Police in Zaporizhia region received a notification from a member of the election commission that 40 ballot papers were missing from the table. Police officers carried out urgent search activities and found the citizen who stole the ballot papers," the National Police said.

The intruder was a resident of Zaporozhia. He was served with charges under Part 2 of Article 158-1 (theft, damage, concealment or destruction of a ballot paper for voting in a referendum) of the Criminal Code of Ukraine. The pretrial investigation continues.